Feather of the Raven
by Lady Shelina
Summary: 3 teenagers living in the kingdom of Wizengard find out that they aren't who they think they are. As they discover their great destiny and the challenges that lay before them, they must learn to put their trust in each other or death shall tear them apart
1. The Beggining

Hey there! This is my first Fanfiction so please send lots of reviews. Flames are okay people! Enjoy. The beginning may be a bit tedious, but it'll get more interesting later on. ;)  
  
Shell  
  
Raine took her time picking the potatoes out of the barrel. She was in no hurry to go back into house where her fat parents sat, guzzling beer. A flash of anger swept through her and the hand holding the bucket of potatoes shook. It took all of Raine's self-restraint to not just hurl the container at the wall of the cellar and scream. The side of her face was still red and stung painfully. She tucked a strand of her brownish- reddish hair behind an ear and continued to pick out potatoes. Finally, the bucket was filled to the rim and Raine started to walk up the stairs of the cellar. She walked out into the bright sunshine, blinking. Raine set down the wooden bucket and closed the trapdoors and padlocking them. Then, she picked up the bucket again and went around the house, to the garden. There was a small stool there and a metal basin. Placing the bucket by the stool, she sat down and started peeling the potatoes. Raine took a long time peeling them. After she was done, she went back into her house through the back door. She started cooking breakfast.  
  
She set the table and was about to call her parents to breakfast, but was saved the trouble because her mom waddled in, followed by her father. The strong stench of alcohol followed them in, making Raine wrinkled her nose in disgust. They sat down at the table and started to eat without thanking her. Raine didn't mind, she was used to this treatment. Better than being beat and thrown against walls. She unconsciously touched the side of her face. The sting was gone, but she could still feel the burn of her father's hand. Raine took her plate and left the room.  
  
Closing the door of her room behind her, she sighed with relief. Then, she sat down on the floor and began to eat. She finished quickly and pushed her plate off to the side. She looked around her room.  
  
It was a small room, with wooden walls and a mattress filled with straw and sheep wool piled on it. She didn't have many clothes, and the few were piled neatly in the corner of the room. A wooden box lying by her bed held all her precious belongings. The walls of her room were bare, but a cracked mirror hung from a nail. She walked towards it and peered at the reflection.  
  
A young woman of 17 looked back at her. Her hair was brown with red strands here and there. Raine remembered dimly that it used to be black, but all the working in the sun must've bleached it. Raine had pulled it up into a ponytail to keep it out of the way, but some strands were falling out. She wore leather boots and was clad in dark red, but the clothing was threadbare and she didn't have many clothes. One of the sleeves had a tear from her wrist, to the elbow.  
  
Raine was extraordinarily beautiful, but she didn't believe it. In fact, she thought she was hideous. She was actually far, far from that. Her skin was always pale and not one blemish could be seen. Her eyes were forest green and when she was angry, she had a glare that could melt you on the spot.  
  
Raine sighed and sat down at her bed. She didn't have any friends and adults in the kingdom Wizsengard, where she lived, ignored her. She knew why. She looked strange, from her pointy ears, to the strange birthmark on her right forearm. It was a symbol of some sort, but she didn't know it. Raine's thoughts started to wander and she found herself thinking about a strange dream that happened three nights ago.  
  
The dream was really odd. It was like many visions and scenes flashing before her eyes. First, there was a sword glinting in the moonlight, than trees. After that, a series of scenes flashed by, some too fast to see. She remembered vaguely that there was also a bow and arrow, chains, and then it was over. The last thing she saw before she woke up was the symbol on her arm, floating in blackness and a soft, mystical voice whispering, "Your name is Raine..." Then she had woke up. Since that dream, she had called herself Raine in her mind. Raine lay there for a long time, then, she fell into a deep sleep.  
  
Taja wiped the sweat from her forehead and let out a sigh of exhaustion. It was a blistering hot day and she was still outside laboring for only a few gold coins. She continued cutting the grass with her shears.  
  
Taja was a good-natured girl of 17 and had brownish hair that used to be black. Years of working in the sun had turned her midnight colored hair a lighter color. She was beautiful, her forest green eyes always twinkling like she was happy. A smile always lit her features and it rarely left her face. Her skin was pale, and the other gardeners who worked with her thought that she glowed at times. Her ears were pointy, but not many know that because she always had a hat on when she worked. But that wasn't the strangest characteristic that she had. Taja had markings on her right forearm. She often examined it when she was alone, wondering what it meant, but never drawing close to the answer.  
  
Taja was a diligent worker and worked her hardest, but sometimes she caught her thoughts straying from her work. This only happened when she had other things to think about and Taja currently had something to ponder.  
  
A few nights ago, she guessed three, she had a strange dream. There was a small dagger, a forest, and a bridge. Then, the markings on her shoulder was hovering before her eyes and there was an eerie voice saying, "Taja, come..." Taja didn't have a name, the people she lived with just called her "Girl" and the people who gave her work called her by, "Gardener." So naturally, she guessed that that was name and it probably came from an old reminiscence that she didn't quite remember.  
  
Taja was brought back to reality suddenly and it took her a while to realize that someone was calling her. "Hey you! Are you done yet?" She nodded, pulling her cap down to shield her face from the burning sun. "Well, don't dawdle! I won't have strangers walking in my garden for no reason." Taja sighed. Another hard day was over and was time to head home.  
  
Isabel wiped the window with a rag, making sure to get all the places. Her hair was tied back with an old black ribbon and her clothes were covered with cinders and were ripped in some places. She never wore sleeveless shirts because her mother said that "too much skin was exposed" and that it was "barbaric." Her mother also ordered her not to wear these clothes to hide those "unearthly markings" on her arm. Isabel's hair was pitch black. Her skin was pale, but she thought that that was because she hardly set foot outside. One of the only times she ever went out was to do an errand for her sisters and mother. Today, she had the house to herself because her family went out to another party at a friend's, leaving her alone as usual.  
  
Isabel didn't mind. In fact, she was happy to have the house to herself and not to be ordered around. But despite them not being home, Isabel still had work to do. Her mother expected the house to be sparking clean by the time they got back. Her sisters also left her a lot of clothes to be washed on their beds. Isabel blew a stray hair out of her eyes and wringed out the rag she was using for cleaning. It was the last window to clean, but she still had to tidy up her sisters' rooms and wash their clothes. Other girls would have lost their tempers by now, but Isabel was a patient and as kindhearted as she was beautiful. She finished the windows and went to finish her other tasks.  
  
Greta's room was, as usual, messy and smelled like moldy cheese. Isabel walked into the room, her nose wrinkled and trying to breathe through her mouth. Surveying the room, she predicted it would take her an hour before she could get through the pigsty. Then, she had to work on Amelia's room, which smelled like perfumes and had lace everywhere. Isabel started working.  
  
By the end of the day, Isabel was exhausted. It was starting to get dark out and her mother and sisters would be getting back soon. She stood by the door waiting. Sure enough, the sound of a carriage rolled up the street and the sounds of her sisters' bickering drew closer to the door. Isabel opened the door and in walked her mother, looking evil and more sinister as ever and then Amelia, as tall and skinny as a pole, and Greta, waddling in. They threw their coats at Isabel as if she was nothing but a coat rack, but Isabel caught the jackets covered with ribbons and frills. She closed the door behind them and followed them. 


	2. The Package

Raine woke up to the sound of birds twittering and sunlight streaming between the slits in the dirty, ragged curtains. Blinking, she got up, stretching out her arms. She brushed her long hair out of her eyes and got up to change. There weren't a lot of clothes to pick from. She ended up pulling on a worn pair of pants and a top that was made from the same scratchy material. Raine hadn't slept well last night, the same strange dream had visited her again. She went to the mirror and combed out her hair. It flowed out, clean and well kept, though she hardly ever took care of it. It was like that ever since she could remember, just like her perfect skin. She shuffled into the kitchen to get breakfast ready.  
  
A while later, she walked out the front door and into the cobblestone streets. She made her way to the library. Raine always went to the library to escape her parents and the foul kids that followed her and mocked her. They never learn, not even after she broke the nose of dirty MacField's son after he mocked her and tried to grab her hair when she walked away.  
  
She looked down the rows of worn books. It was usually history books or books with old fables. Raine walked down the rows of bookshelves, not really knowing what she was searching for. Finally, she left the library and decided to just roam around the city.  
  
It was a hot day and Raine regretted wearing the clothes she picked out. The thick material made her sweat and she thought of going back home to change. Raine changed her mind, remembering her parents. She continued walking. She found herself in the main park. Many citizens came here and took walks. Raine went down the dirt path and walked into the shade of a tree. Suddenly, it happened again.  
  
It was exactly the same thing that happened a year ago when a thief had sneaked up behind her and tried to make off with her bag. The sound of birds and trees rustling faded around her and it was as if her ears honed in one sound. The sound of soft footsteps behind her and a snap of a twig.  
  
Raine turned around, raising her arms in self-defense, ready to block an attack of anyone fool enough to assault her. The old man stumbled backwards in fear and dismay. Raine expected another pompous kid like MacField, so she was taken aback.  
  
The man seemed almost frightened of her, but as she watched him, the elderly man seemed more frightened of being seen by others. He kept on wringing his gnarled hands and glancing behind his shoulder nervously.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked warily, but lowering her arms. The man avoided her eyes as he replied. "I am Mr. Farrell. I-I saw you walking and came to warn you that..."  
  
"What?" Raine prompted when the man hesitated. "Miss, You should be careful, the king has ordered the slaughter of all..." He trailed off again. Raine was beginning to lose patience trying to make sense of all his babbling. "The slaughter of who?" The man gave a squeak of fright and looked around nervously.  
  
"Do not speak so loudly and in public too!" he whispered, beckoning her urgently to him. Raine still didn't trust him and didn't budge. The man crept closer. "The killing of... Them." He said the last word in an awed way. He finally met her eyes but only for a second. "Who are them?"  
  
"I dare not say the name for I am scared of death." "Look, I don't know who you are, but I'm not wasting my time listening to some guy saying unfinished sentences!" she finally snapped, about to leave.  
  
"Miss, please!" he squealed. Raine stopped and turned around again, folding her arms. "I don't want to say too much and in this open area, but I want you to take this." He gave her a bundle wrapped in a coarse fabric the color of dirt. "I was on my way to burn it and then I saw you walking." Raine hesitated before taking the package. From the shape and feel, she guessed that it was some papers and a small book. She looked up, but the man was gone. Raine looked around, but no one was there, and the only sound was a breeze blowing through the trees and the soft whisper of leaves.  
  
Raine forgot about the package for the rest of the day. But she remembered it when her mother had thrown a heavy volume at her because she hadn't been there when she was hungry. As she ran up the stairs to her room, she remembered the package that she had dumped in the corner. Raine closed the door behind her firmly, blocking out the sounds of her mother yelling. She took the badly wrapped package and sat on her cot with it on her lap. Then, she gingerly opened it.  
  
It was a small leather bound book and many pieces of old parchment, the things that she had expected. But when she turned over the book, she saw that in gold, peeling letters, the word Diary was embossed onto the front cover. She hesitated before opening it. Raine felt like she was intruding on someone's privacy. But the old man had given it to her, so she had the right to read the contents. She turned to the first page that was yellowed with age.  
  
Raine started to read the cramped and swirly writing. It was hard to read and some could not be understood. But after reading a few entries, she got the idea that a girl around her age had written this. Raine started to yawn and get bored, but then something caught her eye. She stared at the sentence in shock. Then, she abandoned the old book and snatched up the parchments. Raine's eyes were widened and filled with her dismay. They were maps of the world. She looked at the mountains and forests. She stared at a few places that she had never heard of.  
  
"So it's true," she murmured, her eyes filled with wonder. "There really are elves!" 


	3. Raven Feather

Taja turned in her scratchy cot, trying to get comfortable. She first turned to her left, then turned to the right. Her cot was lumpy and in every position, she was uncomfortable. Finally, she just gave up and stared at the cracked ceiling. Besides, even if she got comfortable, she still wouldn't sleep anyways. The snoring of one of her roommates filled the room. Taja began to feel depressed. She wished that she had a real home, not just a cabin shared with her fellow gardeners. Plus, it smelled like fertilizer. Wrinkling her nose, she tried to forget all the unpleasant things. Slowly, the young woman drifted off.  
  
She was running through the forest, the blade gleaming with a bright light from the full moon above. Her enemies were close behind and she knew it. Suddenly, a black shadow loomed up before her. She stopped and raised her knife, but it was knocked out of her grasp. Taja was trapped. But then, an arrow flew from behind Taja and pierced the shadow. With a horrifying shriek, it exploded into dust. Taja turned and nodded her thanks at a figure. It was too dark to see, but Taja could tell she was a female. Taja retrieved her knife and whirled around. More shadows appeared in front of her, blocking her path. She raised her bright knife and...  
  
Taja woke up with a start. Her heart was beating quickly. The dream was so real, it was as if she had really been there, in the forest. Her heart slowly regained it's normal rate, but Taja still breathed heavily. It was just a dream, just a dream.  
  
Isabel pulled the blanket around her neck. She was in her room, or rather, closet. It was where she slept. The closet was small and smelled of dust, but Isabel was grateful that she had a place to stay at all. She laid for a while on the hard floor in the dark, resting her exhausted bones. Soon, she fell asleep.  
  
She had to hurry, she had to catch up with her. But which way had she gone? Isabel looked around her frantically, trying to find her friend. But the trees blocked her view. All she could see was trees and the moon above her. Her grip tightened on her bow. Suddenly, Isabel heard a scream. She turned and ran towards the sound, an arrow ready in her hand. Isabel ducked around the branches and found one of her companions. She was cornered by a shadow. Isabel let her arrow fly. It pierced the shadow in the heart and it burst into ashes. The victim turned and gave her a nod. Isabel nodded back, her arm pulling another arrow from her quiver and fitting it in her bow. A shadow appeared before her and she let it fly. It flew through the air...  
  
Isabel opened her eyes. It took her a while to realize where she was. She was safe in her closet. Her legs were tangled with her blanket. She sat up and felt that she was drenched in cold sweat. Her heart was beating loudly. Isabel sighed with relief. Another nightmare.  
  
Raine ran, leaping over the boulders before her. They were after her and she knew it. Their presence loomed behind her. Raine tightened her grip on her sword and plunged on. Raine reached the steps and raced up. The stone was crumbling and she had to watch where she put her foot. Raine reached the door and pushed with all her might. It was locked. She turned and raised her sword in defense. She was surrounded by the shadows. Raine smiled grimly at them. Bring it on.  
  
Raine woke up suddenly. She rolled over and looked at the mirror on the wall. She could see that her face was pale. Her birthmark stood out more than usual and Raine felt cold all over. Was she sick? Raine sat up and looked around her room. Nothing was different. It was a stupid dream. But Raine wouldn't let it go. "That dream means something. It's not an ordinary fantasy. Maybe... It has to do with my mark." Raine shook her head. She was going through the aftermath of her nightmare. But still, she had a gut feeling that it was symbolic. Raine got up and left her room. She went into the kitchen.  
  
Raine sat on a wooden chair, thinking. She often had symbolic dreams like these and she always tried to decipher it. But what did this one mean? Suddenly, something made her look at the window. There was something on the sill. Raine went over to it and picked it up. It was ripped piece of parchment folded in half. Something was under it. She picked it up.  
  
It was a raven's feather, midnight black and glossy as if wet. It felt warm as if it had been lying in the sun for a long time. Raine unfolded the note. In a spidery handwriting, someone had wrote:  
  
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.  
  
Raine felt strange. Who wrote this? Was she being stalked? Her mind flicked back to the diary of the girl. Is she angry because a stranger had read her property?  
  
Raine tried to smile, but it turned out as a grimace. She was being overreactive. The girl had died a long time ago. It was just the dark and having strange dreams. Suddenly, it dawned on her. What if the dream meant for her to run away? After, all, she had been running from something. That could've been her horrible life. And the shadows could've been the wild. Maybe her sword could've meant something. Like her courage and ability to protect herself. Raine drew her lips into a thin line. She can survive on her own. It was time to run away.  
  
Taja couldn't fall asleep again, not after the nightmare. She laid on her cot, listening to the snoring once again. Suddenly, she had an urge to go outside. She got up and walked as quietly as she could to the door. She winced as it creaked, but none of her roommates were disturbed. She edged herself out and stood in the cool night.  
  
Taja shivered slightly, wishing that she had brought a cloak. She looked around. There was nothing. She stepped forward and her foot touched something. Taja looked down. What's that?  
  
The girl picked it up. It was a piece of parchment. As she opened it, something fluttered out. It was a feather. Taja looked at it, her face showing her curiosity and confusion. She was no bird watcher, but she guessed it was a raven's feather. She tucked it into the pocket of her shirt before reading the note.  
  
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.  
  
What? But before she could ponder the meaning, something disrupted her. She tensed. Taja never heard that sound before, but she knew right away what it was. The bell rang ominously and she stumbled back into the cabin. Her kingdom was under attack.  
  
Isabel opened the door quietly and looked out. All was quiet and peaceful. She looked around. Something had called her, but what? Then, she saw something lying before her. She picked it up. A note?  
  
She touched the warm feather, before reading the note.  
  
It's time to go. Follow your instincts. Don't bring much. Be careful.  
  
Raine ran through the house. She didn't need to be quiet now. The ringing of the bell had aroused everyone in the kingdom. Raine left the house and ran down the cobblestone street. The lights were on in all the houses she can see. As she neared the stone entrance to the kingdom, she began to hear great horns blowing and the shouts of a foreign language she had never heard of. Raine stopped. She couldn't get out that way, so what was she supposed to do? 


	4. The Gate is Broken

Raine wasn't too afraid of the kingdom being attacked. She actually felt quite safe because stories were told that no one could force their way into the kingdom. The enemies reached the gates and the sound of ramming was heard. The sun was coming up, and the sky was faintly pink. Raine heard loud marching behind her and saw more troops behind he. She retreated to the side as she watched the soldiers climb up the stonewall guarding the kingdom. Sounds of arrows flying filled the air. Raine stood in the shadows of a house and tried to decide what to do. But then, something happened that made her freeze momentarily. The gates of the stonewall gave and the enemy swarmed in. Soldiers met them and the clanging of swords could be heard. Raine unfrozen and quickly backed away from the road. She turned and started to run. The gate was broken. If the enemies were that strong, then they could kill them all rapidly. Raine shook her head. Don't think those thoughts! She ordered herself. Raine ran on. She didn't know where to go. She turned backwards to see who was winning. What she saw made her gasp.  
  
Taja threw her things into a sack. She was always ready in an emergency. Her roommates had left the cabin to see what was wrong. As Taja pulled the string to close the bag, one of her co-workers, a woman, hurried in.  
  
"What's wrong?" Taja asked, alarmed at the sight of her pale face. "The enemies have broken in!"  
  
"What?" Taja gasped. "That's impossible. The gate is too strong!" "Are enemies are stronger. Oh, this is the end!" The woman wailed and slumped to the ground. Taja grabbed her sack and started for the door. But when her hand touched the wood, she stopped. Where could she go? The king didn't make an escape route in case of emergency. No one believed that the gate could ever be broken. Taja tried to remain calm. She would have to leave the kingdom. The gate was broken, wasn't it? But it was a slim chance that she can sneak out without being seen. Taja turned back to the wailing woman.  
  
"We mustn't give up hope. There's a chance that we can get out of the kingdom. There's a forest surrounding us. We can hide there until the coast is clear." The woman continued to moan. "Come on now!" Taja said, now more urgently. The sound of houses burning and destruction was near. "There's no hope at all, oh leave me be!" The distressed woman wrenched her arm out of the girl's grasp and continued to weep. Taja sighed, dejected. "I can't force you to go." She reluctantly left the cabin and the woman.  
  
Taja gasped. She couldn't help it. The cabin next to hers was burning. The ashes made her cough. She turned and started in the opposite direction. Taja screamed. A man stood before her, his sword gleaming from the rays of the rising sun. He had short brown hair and gray eyes. Taja stumbled backwards, nearly losing her grip on her sack. The man walked towards her and raised his sword. When he swung his sword, Taja ducked. The man missed and tried again. Taja moved on her instinct and kicked the sword out of his hand. The man showed surprise, but not for long. He grabbed his sword again. Taja turned and began to run. The man grabbed her arm and Taja twisted it. She kicked him when he was distracted. She tried to slip away, but he grabbed at her again. This time, he knocked off her hat on accident. Her long brown hair tumbled out in a cascade of waves and settled on her shoulders. The man stopped and stared at her. "Your..." he began in shock, but Taja kicked him in the shin and ran off, not even looking back.  
  
Isabel made sure that her mother and sisters were safely out of the house. Then, she ran back to her closet and grabbed a backpack. She grabbed her cloak, which matched her forest green eyes, and pulled it on. She put some clothing in her pack and went to the kitchen. She opened the cupboards and put food in the backpack too. Then, Isabel ran out of the house.  
  
If it were true that the gates have been broken, she would try to make a run for it. Isabel knew that she might die, but it was better than waiting for death to come to her doorstep. She looked around wildly for her mother and sisters, but she couldn't see them. Smoke filled the air and made her sneeze. Isabel looked around her one last time before heading in the direction of the gate. She tried to blend into the shadows of the houses and pass by undetected. Isabel ducked behind a shed and looked out. The clang of the swords and singing of bows filled her ears. There was blood on the roads. Isabel fought back the sudden wave of nausea and tried to look away. But for some reason, she couldn't. Isabel looked at the enemy soldiers. They didn't have armor. They wore robes of dark green. Some had long hair tied back or just short hair. Isabel finally forced herself to turn. But she didn't move a foot when she realized what was nagging her.  
  
The soldiers had pointy ears. Like hers!  
  
Isabel stopped and started back. She went back to the place where she had watched the fighting. She saw on the other side of the road a little girl crying. Before she could think, Isabel ran into the street, intent on saving the girl. A horse galloped out of nowhere and reared up, whinnying. Isabel stopped shocked. She thought she heard someone scream. The horse's legs began the journey downward and Isabel threw herself to the side. Her head hit the stone street and the last thing she saw was the cloudless sky before everything went black. 


	5. They Meet

Taja was racing down the side of the street when she saw her. A girl around her age ran out from behind a shed and into the street, right where some people were sword fighting. Taja gasped. What on earth...? But then she saw the little girl crying. Taja started across the stone road, but saw a runaway horse, which belonged to the enemy, charge out of nowhere. The horse reared up.  
  
"Watch out!" she cried, horrified. But the girl who was trying to save the youngling didn't seem to hear her. She stood there, paralyzed. Finally, she had the sense to dodge aside. The girl hit the ground and didn't move. The horse ran up to Taja and whinnied shrilly. The horse was going to run her down. But then, Taja shouted something in a language she didn't know. The horse stopped and looked at her warily. Taja repeated the words, but this time, softly. The horse calmed down and nuzzled her gently. Taja went around the horse and mounted her as if she was an expert.  
  
"What am I doing?" she thought. "I don't know how to ride horses!" But then, she said a couple more strange words and the horse started to trot briskly to the unconscious girl and the weeping girl. Taja got off the horse and shook the unconscious teenager lightly. When she got no response, she picked her up. To her surprise, the young woman was not that heavy. Taja laid her body on the horse and then picked up the little girl. She put the girl on the horse and mounted in front of her.  
  
"Don't worry," she soothed the little girl. "I'll take care of you. Grab my waist." The girl nodded, hugging her from behind. Taja murmured a few more odd words to the horse. She's a mare, Taja somehow knew that. The horse galloped down the street in the direction of the gate.  
  
Raine ran on, clutching a stitch in her side. Her pack was slung on her left shoulder and in her right hand, she held a sword, still in it's sheath. Raine was still trying to take in what had happened.  
  
One of the soldiers had thrown fire!  
  
It wasn't from a torch and Raine was positive that it wasn't a flaming arrow. The fire had materialized in the center of the enemy's soldier's palm. He had then thrown it at a soldier. Raine didn't know what to think. Was he a wizard? She had heard tales when she was younger, but she didn't really gave thought to them. Raine shook her head. But he could've been, now that she knew for certain that there was magic in the world. The fire had said it all.  
  
Raine looked around. All she could see was trees. She had escaped the kingdom and ran into the forest surrounding most of it. But she didn't know where she was. She started to walk to her left. After a while she reached a clearing. Voices reached her ears and she hesitated. Then, she looked from behind a tree.  
  
Taja got off the horse and helped the little girl off. Then, she pulled the unconscious body of the young woman off the horse and gently laid her on the ground. Taja saw that the teenager had a nasty scrape on her arm. The stranger's shoulder length sleeve was ripped, so Taja rolled it up. There was a stream nearby. Taja tore off a piece off the end of her own shirt and dipped it into the cool water. She used it as a bandage and tied onto the girl's arm. Then, she turned to the young one.  
  
"Hello," she said, gently. The little girl looked frightened. Her face was covered with soot. Taja motioned for the little girl to come closer. "What's your name?" The little girl wiped her tear-streaked face. "Graciela."  
  
"That's a cute name," Taja said, with a smile. "Come here." The little girl obeyed her and sat near her. Taja wiped off the soot on Graciela's face. "How old are you?" Graciela held up five fingers.  
  
"Five years old? You're a big girl!" Graciela giggled. "I'm Taja. You can just call me that. May I call you Gracie?" Graciela nodded, clearly liking the nickname. "Do you know where are your parents?" Gracie shook her head. "I don't have parents. I live in a orphanage," she said slowly. Taja frowned. "You poor thing. Don't worry, I'll take care of you." Gracie grinned. Suddenly, Taja heard the rustle of leaves behind her. She turned.  
  
It was a teenager around her age. She wore grayish, greenish clothing and had a sword in her hand. A pack was hanging from her shoulder. Taja didn't know what to think. The young woman didn't seem like a soldier. But she had a hard look in her eyes. "Hello," Taja ventured. The girl didn't say anything. She looked at her. Finally, she said, "Hi."  
  
Taja nodded at her sword. "You're not a soldier, are you?" The girl shook her head. Finally, she decided that she liked Taja and walked closer. She saw the little girl. Her face immediately softened. "Hello," she said softly to Gracie. Gracie waved at her shyly. "What's her name?" Taja smiled. "Graciela."  
  
"Cute," The girl commented, smiling at the little girl. She took off her pack and set it on the ground. She also set down the sword. Taja got a closer look at her eyes and did a double take. "Your eyes." Taja stopped. The girl cocked her head. "What about them?" she asked. Taja smiled. "I'm sorry, you might think I'm so strange to say this, but they're the same color as mine." The girl leaned closer and studied Taja's eyes. "Hey, I think you're right." Taja was about to say something, but the unconscious girl began to move. "I think she's waking up," she said, lifting Gracie off her lap and crawling to her. "Can you hear me?"  
  
Isabel saw a light above. It got brighter and suddenly, she found herself lying on the ground. It felt like grass. She tried to get up but groaned instead. Her head throbbed and her right arm stung. What happened?  
  
Suddenly, she remembered. She had tried to save a girl but got knocked out. But where was she now? She tried to move over. Then, Isabel heard sounds coming from her left. A girl's face loomed over here. "Can you hear me?" she asked, a friendly, but anxious, smile on her face. Isabel nodded, but soon regretted that when her head gave a painful throb. "Ow," she said, reaching a hand and touching the back of her head. It was a bump, but it still hurt a lot. Isabel managed to sit up. When she did, she began to take in her surroundings. 


	6. Aries

There were trees around her and the sound of a stream trickling nearby sounded like music. The girl who had asked her if she could hear her was sitting next to her. She was beautiful and her face seemed welcoming and radiant. Her clothes were black and her long wavy hair cascaded down her back. But there were more people. Isabel saw another girl around her age looking at her. Her red streaked brown hair was loose on her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep green color and for a minute, Isabel couldn't remember why those eyes seemed so familiar to her. She was also beautiful, but her eyes seemed guarded. Isabel smiled at her and was glad that she smiled back. The girl seemed like she had no emotion at all. But when she smiled, she looked even more attractive. Isabel saw the little girl.  
  
"Hello," she said to her. "What's your name?" The little girl said in a small voice, "Graciela, but I like Gracie." She pointed at the friendly looking girl. "She made my nickname." Isabel looked at her. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly to Isabel. "I'm Taja. This is..." she trailed off and looked at the other girl, the serious one. "Raine," The serious girl supplied. "Raine," Taja repeated.  
  
"I'm Isabel," Isabel said. Her head was feeling much better. Raine looked at her. "What happened to you?" She pointed at her arm. Isabel noticed that it was bandaged with a wet cloth. She looked at Taja questionly. Taja said, "I did that. You had a scrape." Isabel nodded her thanks and turned to Raine. "I think I tried to save Gracie. She was too close to all the fighting. And a horse came out of nowhere and I jumped to the side. Then everything went black." "You got knocked out when you hit the ground," Taja said. "I got on a horse." She stopped suddenly. "I got on a horse," she said again but more softly.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Raine asked, a hint of concern in her voice. Raine was beginning to feel friendly with the two girls. She didn't really know them, but something seemed familiar with them. Taja smiled. "It's probably nothing," she said. Raine looked at her. "You'll think I'm crazy." Raine thought of the soldier throwing fire. "I'm crazy," she said, half smiling. Taja looked at her, not sure if she was joking or not. "Promise you won't laugh?" she asked Raine and Isabel. They both nodded. "Okay. After the horse nearly hurt you," she said, looking at Isabel. "She ran towards me and I was about to get run down. But then, I... said something." Isabel looked confused. "What exactly did you say?"  
  
Taja looked from Raine to Isabel. "I said something, but in, like, a different language. I don't know. You think I'm crazy right?" Isabel shook her head. "I believe you. I believe in magic. But not Magic that is too fantastic. But speaking another language is okay. But it's not really magical. Maybe it's another language that came from a memory. I don't know. But maybe, it is magic, " she said thoughtfully. Raine nodded to. "Me too. I mean, I believe in magic. All kinds. In fact I thought I saw a soldier--- ," suddenly, she stopped. "Wait a minute, can you hear something?" Taja turned and listened. "People are coming." Raine's face was once again emotionless, but Isabel spotted a faint sign of alarm in her eyes. "A lot of people. I think the enemy is retreating." The girls quickly gathered their belongings and Taja took the horse's rein and Gracie's hand. All of them hid in bushes, hoping they wouldn't be seen. Taja stroked the horse, willing it to be quiet.  
  
As the footsteps came closer, the sound of voices became clearer. Soon, the three young women could hear the words they were saying. To their surprise, the way they talked was not at all like soldiers.  
  
Raine tightened her hold on the hilt of her sword as she listened. "That should serve as a warning to those mortals. It's a good thing for them that we aren't as cruel as they are." Another person spoke up. "I wanted to kill them all. Make sure that they never mess with us again." Sounds of murmuring greeted these words. "Higara, my brother and companion, I am shocked to hear these words come from your mouth. Are you one of us? Our kind is never murderous. We only kill the evil people. I am sure many of the citizens have no idea how spiteful their king is." Raine noted that the person speaking had a more lordly tone of voice. He was most likely the captain.  
  
Taja leaned closer, but making sure she made no sound. How was their king malicious? Who were these people? They didn't sound like the soldiers in her kingdom. Her thoughts were interrupted when Higara spoke again. "Taurus, these people killed our kind---"  
  
"Only the soldiers did. Do my words slipped from your mind so easily? The king is evil and his soldiers cruel. The others are probably just like us."  
  
Higara scoffed. "Just like us? Brother, they are mere mortals! We are more superior then they are!" A few soldiers muttered in agreement.  
  
Another voice spoke up. "I believe being treated like a prince has gone all to your head. Someone must deflate it for you!"  
  
Isabel smiled slightly at these words. She couldn't help but agree with the person who had retorted. She did not know Higara, but he seemed like an arrogant fool anyhow. Isabel chanced a quick peek behind the trunk of her tree. The soldiers were standing in the clearing where she, Raine, and Taja had stood a few moments ago. She saw a tall, muscular young man with blond hair and a raised chin stand before a slightly shorter young Man. Isabel couldn't see the face of Higara, for the blond man must be Higara, but she could clearly see the face of the man who had talked back. His dark brown hair was messy and his jaw set. His blue-green eyes sparkled, almost mockingly, at Higara. Isabel ducked her head behind the trunk again.  
  
"Why you little—," The sound of a sword being unsheathed met Raine's ears. "Higara! Put away your sword. I am sure Aries didn't mean any harm." Taurus's voice was stern. After a few moments of silence Higara hissed, "I will let you fool go this time, but next time you insult me, it would be the last."  
  
"Let's move out! My orders from Lady Gem were to hurry back as soon as our duty is done." Higara gave Aries a look of pure venom before following the lead of his brother. Aries smiled at him, making the man even more furious. "I'll get you. You better watch your back," Higara snarled. Aries raised an eyebrow, nonplussed. Higara stalked away, leaving Aries behind. Aries started walking, and someone overtook him.  
  
"You better watch out, Aries. Higara is serious this time." Aries smiled at his best friend, Tobias. "Isn't he serious every time he threatens me?" Tobias tried to smile back, but the worry showed on his face. "You better watch your back all the same. Higara has been waiting for the chance to do you in ever since you met at training. In this foreign land, he can easily make it seem like an accident." Aries started walking faster. "You forget one thing, my friend, I am Aries."  
  
Taja waited a few more minutes after the sounds of footsteps faded away before coming out into the open. Gracie tottered behind her. She looked around for her friends. "I think it's okay now. You can come out." Taja heard the sound of leaves and turned around. Raine was coming out from a thicket of bushes. Her face was still emotionless and her hand gripped her sword. Taja flashed a smile. "Raine, relax. No one is going to get you." Raine gave her a look before loosening her hold on her sword. Suddenly, she looked tired and drained of energy. Isabel emerged from behind a tree. Taja looked at Isabel and then back at Raine. Her smile faded. "Are you alright?" she asked Raine, her voice concerned. Raine shook her head. "Yes I am. Just tired." Isabel turned towards the direction where the kingdom is. "Come on," she said. "Let's go back. It's over." Taja looked at Raine. The girl didn't make any motion that she heard Isabel.  
  
"Raine?" Taja said. "It's time to go." Raine jerked out of a reverie. "What?" "Time to go," Isabel repeated to her. Raine stood up straighter and raised her chin defiantly. "I'm not going back." Isabel stopped and turned around. She started walking back. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I'm not going back! Look, when I got packed, it was before the kingdom was attacked. I was going to run away. My plans are still the same." Isabel looked at her. "Raine, it's too dangerous. It's better to go back."  
  
A flash of anger went through her. Better to go back? Back to her parents? "Maybe it's better for you to go back. You're probably all rich and have servants waiting on you. I—," Raine stopped. "I have nothing. I'm leaving." She turned to go.  
  
Taja watched Raine retreat. She opened her mouth to say something, but Isabel was quicker. "Me? Having servants? Raine, you have no idea." Taja looked at Isabel. She had a strange look on her face. "I'm a servant. And not to just anybody, but my own mother!"  
  
Raine stopped and turned around. "Then why go back? You can come with me." Isabel started to speak, but stopped. Why did she want to go back? Like Raine, she had almost nothing. She looked at Raine uncertainly. But she hardly knew this teenager. Can she just leave with a stranger?"  
  
Raine looked at Taja, who was standing off to the side, her face unreadable. Gracie was looking at Taja to Raine and then to Isabel. She looked like she was scared a little from the shouting. "You can come too," Raine said to Taja, more softly slightly ashamed at alarming Gracie. Taja looked at her, her eyes seemed unsure. But as Raine stared back, back into the same colored eyes she had, the last bit of wariness faded away.  
  
What had she got to loose? She was just a lowly gardener in the city. She had no life too. This was her chance for adventure. Taja nodded, a bright smile emerging on her face, brightening her features. "I'll come with you." Raine then turned to Isabel. Isabel nodded too. "Okay," she said. She started to smile too. "All right."  
  
Something was nagging Isabel though. "Where are we going?" she asked suddenly. Raine hesitated before pulling out a scroll from her pack. "We're going to see the elves." "Elves?" Isabel repeated. Raine nodded. "No, no. Elves aren't real Raine." Raine pulled out something from her pack again and showed it to sable and Taja. It was a leather bound book. "This is proof," She said. "It's a diary of a girl who once lived with the elves." Isabel looked down at the book and then at Raine's face. No, it was too farfetched. But something told Isabel to trust Raine. She remembered the note she had received. Maybe she was meant to go with Raine. Finally, she nodded. "Let's go see the elves." Taja nodded too, bright smile lighting up her features. "Elves," she said softly. "It's a dream come true." 


	7. Attempted Murder

The moon was high in the sky before the people stopped. Aries was weary and wanted to go to sleep badly. As they settled on the grounds, he propped himself up against a tree farther away from his companions. Aries looked up at the stars and it was the last thing he saw before he fell asleep.  
  
Aries woke up all of the sudden. He couldn't breathe! Someone was choking him. Aries struggled wildly and the person chuckled. It was Higara. "Not so cocky now, huh?" he scorned. Aries kicked him and his foot made contact. Higara grunted and loosened his hold. Aries reached for his dagger, but Higara quickly recovered. He punched Aries and the young man fell back. Higara dragged him up and tried to make him stand. Aries kicked him again and shook out of his grasp. Aries turned and pulled out his dagger. He tried to stab Higara, but the man grabbed his arm in mid-air. Higara twisted it and Aries had to drop it in pain. Higara hit him over the head and Aries slumped to the ground, unconscious. Higara laughed softly. He dragged Aries's body over to the river and pushed him in. "Have a nice swim," Higara said, grinning evilly as Aries drifted down the river. Higara turned away and started walking back to camp. Aries would certainly drown and he would be rid of the tiresome fool.  
  
Tobias woke up. It was nearly dawn and the soldiers were packing up and getting ready to leave. He got up and stretched. Tobias glanced towards the direction of the tree his best friend had spent the night, but did a double take. He wasn't there.  
  
Tobias tried to calm himself. Aries could've gotten up earlier and went for a walk. But as he strode towards the spot where Aries had laid, he couldn't help remembering Higara's threat. Tobias reached the tree and looked around. He found Aries's dagger. He wouldn't have left it there for nothing. Tobias studied the ground. There was no mistake, a struggle had taken here. Tobias sensed someone behind him and found himself facing Higara.  
  
"You," Tobias breathed. "You killed him, didn't you?" Higara smiled horribly. "I heard wolves howling last night. Maybe he became a midnight snack for them." Tobias clenched Aries's blade. "You liar!" he yelled. "What have you done to him?" Higara smiled at Tobias's fury. Then, he left. Tobias stood there, at lost for words. Higara killed Aries. He was sure of that. But what can he do? Everyone would believe him, but they wouldn't stand up to Higara. He was dangerous. Tobias wiped his wet cheeks and went over to his bag. He wrapped his best friend's dagger with a piece of clothing and stowed it safely into his pack. His best and only friend was gone.  
  
It had started raining and Isabel pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. The 3 girls were soaking wet. Finally, Taja stopped. "I think we should stop for the day!" she yelled through the rain. Raine nodded to show that she had heard. "I'm going to find shelter!" she yelled back. "Stay here!" Raine hurried away, searching for anywhere that was dry. After a few yards, she found stone. Circling the natural stonewall, She found an opening. She unsheathed her sword and started towards the cave slowly. Then, her strange sixth sense kicked up.  
  
All sounds of rain faded away and all she heard was soft footsteps behind her. Before she could react though, Raine felt the tip of a sword on her back. "Turn around."  
  
There was a light. It shone bright against the blackness that surrounded Aries. Then, the light grew larger and larger. Aries jerked awake and he coughed immediately. The water that had filled his lungs was dispelled from his body. Coughing violently, Aries sat up, his head aching badly. Suddenly, all his memory came back. Higara. Aries looked around. He had been swept up on the riverbank. It was a miracle that he had not drowned. Aries realized that he was clutching something tightly. Unclenching his fist, he found a black feather. "The Raven," he whispered. "The spirit saved me." Aries got up with difficulty, the raven feather still in his hand. Aries unsheathed his own sword and looked around. He had no idea where he was. Cursing Higara, Aries started in a direction that he hoped was right. It had started to rain hard.  
  
Aries reached the stone barrier and started to follow it. Suddenly, he heard something. He looked around. His keen eyesight took in every detail. Then he saw him. A figure was standing before a cave, his sword unsheathed. Aries walked slowly towards him, his sword raised in defense. The figure tensed suddenly and made a motion to turn around. Aries touched the figure with the tip of his sword. "Turn around," he ordered. The person slowly turned to face him.  
  
Raine turned slowly to face the man. She held up her chin defiantly, her hand gripping her sword. The man started. "You're a girl?"  
  
"So what?" she said, flipping her damp red hair to the side. "You against girls?" The man didn't lower his sword. "Who are you?" he demanded. "How 'bout you tell me who you are," Raine flung back. The man smiled, but it wasn't a humorous one. "I'm sorry. Who's the one with the sword? Who's the one cornered here?" Raine glared at him. "Who are you?" he repeated. Finally, Raine answered it. "Raine." The man nearly dropped his sword. "What?" "Raine!" she said again, getting impatient. While he was standing there being a pain in the butt, her friends were under a tree somewhere, soaking wet. Any minute a lightning bolt may come crashing down and strike her friends. The man's mouth was halfway open. "Close your mouth," Raine said. The man didn't answer her. Finally, he got some words out. "Can I see your arm?"  
  
"What," Raine asked disbelievingly. She wasn't expecting a specific answer, but this was one reply she had not expected. "Let me see your arm!" Raine shook her head. "No." The man took a step forward, his sword lowered. Raine had her sword at his neck in a flash. "Stay away from me," she ordered. The man looked at her long and hard. "I mean no harm. Let me see your arm." Raine looked at him suspiciously. "What for?" "Do you have a birthmark?" Raine wasn't expecting this for an answer. "What?" she gasped. "Do you?" Raine quickly recovered. "Look, it's none of your business if I have a birthmark or no."  
  
She was still denying it, but Aries could tell from her reaction that she did have a birthmark. If this was actually Raine... he had to know for sure. Aries thought furiously. How can he trick her into revealing something? His best chance was to shoot questions at her and catch her off guard.  
  
"Is your birthmark some strange symbol?" Raine fixed him with an icy glare and scowled. "I told you, it's none of your business." Okay... so she recovered over the birthmark questions. He should question her with other things. "Are you alone or are you with companions? Coincidentally, are there two others with you? Young women?"  
  
Raine began to feel panic inside her. How did this man know so much about her? "What's your name?" she asked, trying to keep her alarm hidden. "I told you mine, it's only fair if you tell me yours." Raine hoped he didn't hear the fear that was beginning to show in her voice. Who was he? The man smiled. "Yes, I suppose. My name's Aries." Raine continued to fix him with an eagle eye glare. Aries... where had she heard that name before? The man sighed. "I'm not sure if you realized this, but it's pouring out here and we could easily die from pneumonia or something." Raine continued to stare at him, trying to recall reminiscence from the back of her mind. Suddenly it clicked. "Aries. You're one of the soldiers that attacked Wizsengard!"  
  
"What?" Aries was taken by surprise this time. "How do you know that?" He demanded. "So you are a soldier." Raine looked at him. "Why'd you attack my kingdom?" "Your kingdom? You don't belong there! Not if you really are Raine! You belong with---"He stopped abruptly. He had said too much. "What----?" she started but was interrupted.  
  
Taja led the way, Gracie's hand held tightly in hers and the reins of her horse in the other. "Where do you suppose Raine is?" Isabel called from behind. Taja shrugged, but realized that Isabel couldn't see her. The mare was blocking them. "I don't know. Maybe she got lost."  
  
"Well, We're making it worst right? What if she went back and we weren't there? Or if she got hurt and we're going the wrong way? Or if-----," Isabel said, biting her lip.  
  
Taja sighed. She let go of Gracie's hand and the horse's rein for a second. She turned around to face the worried girl. "Isabel, stop worrying. She's fine. We've only known each other for 2 days, but we can both tell that she can definitely take care of herself. It's okay. "Isabel smiled at Taja, glad she wasn't alone. Taja turned and grabbed the rein of the horse. Wrapping the thin rope around her wrist several times, she looked up at the sky. It was beginning to get dark. The raindrops hit hr face. "At least the rain seems to be letting up." Taja noted. She took Gracie's hand again and began to start forward. "Wait."  
  
Taja turned. Isabel was standing behind her. Her brow was furrowed and her eyes filled with wary. She was standing still, as if listening to something. Taja sighed again. "Isabel, you can't be serious. I told you that Raine's fine--."  
  
Isabel held up one hand, her head turned towards the side, listening. "Do you hear that?" Taja looked around and listened hard. She didn't hear anything, only the soft pitter -patter of the relenting rain. "What? I don't hear anything."  
  
"It's not really a sound. More like a feeling." Taja looked at her with great concern. "Isabel, you're tired. Maybe you haven't recovered from your fall." Isabel shook her head. "I feel something. It's a great emotion. It's fear and confusion. But... it's not mine."  
  
Taja looked alarmed. "Isabel..." But Isabel already started walking to the right. The rain had fully stopped now, but neither of the girls has noticed this. Isabel was concentrating on her call, and Taja was worried about her new, but already very close, friend. Isabel stepped from the foliage and into a clearing. "Raine, we've been looking all over for you, I..." She trailed off. Taja couldn't see Raine because Isabel was blocking her. She stepped to the side and saw what had made Isabel stop.  
  
Taja saw Raine first, or rather, the back of Raine. But as she turned to the side, Taja realized that she wasn't the only one standing there. A man was standing before Raine, his sword drawn, but dangling uselessly to the side. Raine had her sword to his neck. When the man saw Isabel and Taja, he did something that surprised them both. He smiled. "So..." he said, turning back to Raine. "You are not alone as I have guessed?"  
  
Raine gripped the hilt of her sword. She really didn't like this man. He knew too much about hr for comfort and was way to perky. "Raine, what's going on?" It was Isabel. Raine didn't take off her steely gaze from Aries's face. "Nothing," she muttered. "Nothing?" It was Taja speaking this time, her voice filled with disbelief and confusion. "Nothing? We come and find you threatening a complete stranger with your sword and u call this nothing?" Raine didn't answer. She continued, this time, her tone playful. "Either we're about to witness a murder, or you're trying to flirt in a very strange way."  
  
At this, Raine finally released her piercing glare from Aries's face. She whipped her head around, hair swishing and eyes flashing. "Taja!" Aries took advantage of her distraction to grab Raine's sword arm and twist it, making her drop the sword. Raine knelt and tried to grab her fallen sword, but Aries put his foot on it. Raine glared at him. "Sorry about that, mi lady, but I had to," he said, cracking a smile. Raine didn't smile back. On the contrary, she shot him an icy look.  
  
Isabel looked at the man. He seemed vaguely familiar to her. Wait... The smile and tousled hair. "Aries?" she asked. Aries jumped and turned quickly to face her. "What?" Taja's eyes lit up with recognition. "Your voice! You were the soldier who talked back!" Aries stared at them. "How do all of you know about me---."  
  
"---How do you know so much about us?" Raine cut in, getting to her feet. "Well?" She demanded, hands on her hips. Her pride was bruised and she wasn't going to forgive him that easily.  
  
Aries stalled. He looked at all three girls, taking in their similarities. He can tell which one's which. His city was forever talking about the tale of the Lost Ones. He knew it by heart. It was everyone's favorite story, next to the Quest of the Fellowship. There was Isabel, the fair, Taja, the Kind, and Raine, the fiery. He smiled. He can tell that Raine was indeed fiery. But there was another young girl. Who was she? She was young, probably only five or six. Her brown hair was dirty and her eyes were aqua blue. This girl stared back at him, curiously. Probably some orphan, he guessed. They must've found her during the battle. Aries looked up to see the young women again. It struck him how alike they were.  
  
They probably couldn't see that they looked alike, but he can tell. All three of them had a deep forest green eyes, silky hair, and sensitive pale skin. They were all tall and slender. But there were differences as well. Isabel had straight, darker than midnight black hair. Her hair was long and tied back with a ribbon. Her hair fell down her back to her waist. Out of the three young women, she was the most elegant looking. Isabel had a quiet, shy look about her. Taja was good-natured. He can just tell. Her lips were turned up at the edges, like she was forever smiling. Her hair was long, but not as long as Isabel, and had lightened to a brownish shade. Her hair was slightly wavy and curled slightly at the edges. And last but not least, was Raine; He had yet to see her smile. She was pretty, but didn't look friendly. Aries looked at her. Raine's eyes were always cold and distant, well, to him, and she looked like she had a permanent scowl fixed on her face. Raine's hair was brown with red streaks in it. Obviously she had been out in the sun a lot. Her waves were around the same length as Taja.  
  
"Well?" Raine was getting impatient. Was this man going to answer her question or not? Finally, he heaved a sigh. "Okay, you win. I'll tell you all I know. I was meaning to anyways, let's find shelter." Raine remembered the cave. She turned and started towards it, but someone stopped her, by grabbing her arm. She turned. Aries shook his head.  
  
"It's too dangerous. I'll go check it out first." Raine pulled out of his grasp, glaring at him. Aries stared back, unaffected, and started towards the cave, his sword raised. Raine walked back to Taja and Isabel. Taja immediately threw her arms around Raine. Raine was surprised. "I'm sorry," Taja said in a muffled voice. "I was just teasing." Raine stood there awkwardly. "Uh... it's okay," she said after a while. Taja stepped back and looked at Raine. "You don't like him don't you?" Isabel laughed a little. "That's an understatement." Raine scowled. "I don't trust him. He attacked me with his sword."  
  
Isabel looked at Raine. She remembered before she had seen Raine, what she had felt. Was it Raine's fear she had experienced? Stop it! She ordered herself silently. Quit scaring yourself. Isabel came back to the present. Aries was coming out of the cave.  
  
"It's okay, but a bit drafty. And we can't exactly build a fire in it," he added, looking at Raine. Taja answered before Raine could. "That's fine. We can build a fire outside of the cave and warm up. When we want to go to bed, we can just go in." She looked nervously at the cave. "Are you sure there's no bats?" Aries shook his head, slightly amused. "No."  
  
"What about spiders?" she asked, not taking her eyes from the mouth of the cave. Aries looked at Isabel, his eyebrows raised. Isabel smiled back. Raine watched the exchange with a stony silence. "No spiders, "he said. "Good, because I loathe spiders," Taja said, not noticing the laugh in Aries's voice. 


	8. Discovery

Raine walked towards the mouth of the cave. If she weren't the first in, she would be second. She walked in, and at first, she couldn't see a thing. She didn't realize that somebody had followed her in until Isabel remarked, "I can't see a thing. How can you see?" "Aries, it's impossible to see in this darkness. What if there really are spiders or bats?" Taja said, her voice anxious. "Nope, no spiders and no bats. But maybe a bear," Aries added. There was a small squeal from Taja and the sound of laughter from Isabel. Raine ignored all this and reached out a hand. She made contact with the surprisingly smooth wall and walked, trailing her hand across the wall.  
  
"I'll go get firewood," Aries finally said. There was no sound of Raine anywhere in the darkness that engulfed him. "Are you sure there aren't any bats in here?" It was Taja of course. "No," he said firmly, heading in the direction of the mouth. "How do you know? You can't see anything." Aries paused before continued walking. "I have good eyes." He left the cave.  
  
"No one can see anything in here, can you?" Taja was asking either Isabel or Raine. "Yes." "Yeah right," she snorted. "No one can see anything in here." Raine shook her head, but remembering that she couldn't see her. "I can see a little." "Wait. Things are getting a bit clearer for me too, what about you?" inquired Isabel. "Yeah, I can see," Taja finally said. "But that took a long time to adjust our eyes to the darkness." "Oh well, we better go help Aries." The three girls walked to the entrance of the cave and strode out.  
  
It was nighttime now, and the stars were winking brightly in the sky. Raine looked at them for a few seconds before following Taja and Isabel. They were walking towards Aries, who seemed to be carrying a bunch of firewood in his arms. Raine reluctantly went to help him with the load and soon they had a fire going.  
  
A few moments passed before anyone spoke. They were all sitting in front of the warm, crackling fire. Taja lazily tossed a stick into the flames. "So... Aries, where do you come from?" Aries was lying on his back, staring at the sky. "Crescent Realm," he finally said. "Where's that?" Isabel asked. Raine was sitting a little away from them, her hands stretched out before her, towards the flickering flames. Crescent Realm, she thought... Where had she heard that before? "A few miles from here, I think," Aries said. Taja sat up straighter. "You think? Where are you going? Besides, how did you get so far from your... troops?"  
  
There was no reply from Aries and Isabel wondered if he had fallen asleep. Finally, he said, "There was a little trouble." Suddenly, Raine spoke up. "Where's Crescent Realm?" she asked all of the sudden. "I mean, exactly." Aries rolled over to face her. Raine's eyes were emotionless as she looked back at him. "By the Misty Mountains," he finally said. "Near the old city of Rivendell." Rained reached for her pack and pulled out the maps. She looked through them and grabbed one. She tried to read it by the fire. "What's that?" Aries asked. "A piece of parchment," she shot back, her eyes still traveling across the paper. The cramped swirly writing was hard to read. Finally, she found the Misty Mountains. It was a large mountain range. Her finger found Rivendell and went to Crescent Realm. "It's a forest," she stated. Aries grabbed the map out of her hand.  
  
He looked at the map. It was incredibly old. "Where did you get this?" he marveled. "Someone," Raine said, unhelpfully. He ignored her tone and looked at the map. "Yes, my home is a forest. Not as splendid as Mirkwood, and definitely not as beautiful as Lorien, but still beautiful." "How can you live in a forest," Raine said. "Who's your king?" Aries looked at her. "We have no king. We need no king. We have a Lady who is like a king and she is a great ruler."  
  
"I've never heard of humans living in forests," Taja broke in. Aries looked at her. Should he say it? Finally, before he can change his mind Aries said, "I'm not human."  
  
Taja laughed. "Sure you aren't, Aries," she finally said. Gracie looked at Taja laughing and then at everyone else. The little girl didn't know what was going on. Isabel looked at Aries's face. "I think he's serious," she said, softly. Aries nodded. "I am." Raine narrowed her eyes and reached for her sword. "Stop," he said, noticing the movement. "I'm not going to hurt you. You are from my kind." A silence followed this sentence. Taja laughed weakly. "You can't be serious. You're not human?" Aries opened his mouth, but Raine spoke first. "What do you mean by us being from your 'kind?'"  
  
"I mean that you're like me, not human, one of our kin---." "What exactly is your 'kin?'" "Elf." Aries looked at each young woman in turn. "I'm an elf," he said again, more softly.  
  
An elf? Raine though disbelievingly. Who's he kidding? He not an elf. He's just an ordinary man doing some wishful thinking. Besides, Elves have good eyes and have at least one magical gift. So far, he's shown nothing extraordinary. But then Raine remember how he could see in the cave. But it was normal, anyone could've seen inside the cave. She and her sisters could. "Show me," she said, abruptly.  
  
"What?" Aries looked at her. "Show me," she said again. "If you're really an elf, where's your gift? Show me your gift." Aries looked at Raine, who looked defiantly back. "You're going to freak out," he finally said. Raine folded her arms. "Try me," she said simply. Aries looked at Isabel and Taja. He sighed before pointed at a rock nearby. "See that rock?" The girls nodded. Aries raised a hand and waved it. The rock skidded across the ground in the direction that he had waved. Taja gave a small scream, Isabel's eyes widened, and Raine's mouth dropped open. "Close your mouth," he told her, smiling. Raine closed her mouth with a snap and glared at him.  
  
"That could've been a coincidence," Raine started stupidly. Aries raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, maybe not," she admitted. Gracie looked at the rock and then at Aries, an expression of awe on her face. "So maybe you're not normal," Raine said, trying to regain her posture. "But what does that have to do with us?" Aries smiled. "I thought that would've been obvious by now," he said, looking at Raine and then at her sisters. "You're all like me. You're elves." Isabel just stared back, her face unreadable, and then looked at Taja, whose face showed her confusion and then at Raine whose face was contorted in disbelief.  
  
"You actually expect us to believe that we're... elves?" Raine asked, staring at him. Aries nodded. "You really are," he said. "I can prove it." Raine looked at Taja who looked at Isabel. She turned to him. "Sure. Go ahead." Aries looked at them. "You have elfish ears and you're immortal." Isabel shook her head. "You can't prove it that we're immortal. And not all of us have pointy ears." Suddenly, she looked uncertain as she turned to Taja and Raine. "I have pointy ears," Taja said slowly and looked at Raine. Raine pulled back her hair to reveal hers. "But that doesn't really prove it. What about gifts, huh?" Raine asked, still not willing to give in. Aries shook his head. "I have no idea what you're gifts are. You'll find out soon enough." He smiled at them. "But you have elfish beauty." Raine rolled her eyes and snorted, Taja laughed, and Isabel raised her eyebrows, "Uh... thanks for the compliment, but I am not pretty," Raine said, her voice serious, but Aries saw that she was trying not to smile. "Neither am I," Taja said, giggling. Isabel shook her head. "You've got the wrong people. We're not elves." Aries shook his head too. Why are they denying it? He wondered. "Oh well, you'll believe me sooner or later," he finally said. "Time for bed," he said, noticing that Gracie had fell asleep, lying by the fire. Taja noticed too and got up to pick her up. The four people put out the fire and grabbed their things. The three girls got their belongings and went into the dark cave. Aries looked around the woods before following them.  
  
Raine tossed and turned all night. Something was bothering her but she didn't know what it was. She remembered dimly that it had to do with a raven's feather, but she fell asleep after that.  
  
Raine was standing alone in the woods. She was looking for someone, but she didn't know what. She turned and saw a raven on a branch. Raine started to walk forward towards the bird. Silently, like a ghost, the raven left the branch and flew off. But something made Raine keep an eye on it and follow it. Finally, Raine followed the raven into a clearing. The Raven perched on a boulder. Raine blinked and gasped. A woman now sat on the rock where the raven had been. She was incredibly beautiful and had long wavy black hair that flowed down her back fluidly like water. She wore a white gown, which glimmered in the moonlight. As Raine drew closer, she saw that the woman's eyes were the same forest green as hers. The woman smiled gently and beckoned Raine to come closer. Raine obeyed and stood before her. There was a long silence before the woman spoke. But when she spoke, it was in a different language, but Raine understood. "Do you know who I am child?" she asked. Her voice was light and beautiful and reminded Raine of a graceful river. Rains shook her head. "I am your Great grandmother, Serena."  
  
Raine didn't answer but looked at her. She knew deep inside her that this was true. "Raine, you have to come back," she continued. "You belong with us, with elves." Raine blinked and said, "I can't be—." "You are, Raine. You are." Raine bit her lip. "But If I am... an elf, then how come I grew up with mortals? How did I get separated?" The woman shook her head. "Ask the man who you met. Trust him. He'll lead you and your sisters back to your home." Suddenly, her surroundings began to fade. "Take care my child..."  
  
Raine woke up. A pale light lit the cave and she sat up. It was dawn. Raine looked around her. Taja slept soundly, an arm encircling Gracie who was curled like a cat. Isabel laid not far off, her back to her, but she wasn't moving. Raine looked behind her and saw Aries's sleeping body. Raine got up slowly, trying not to disturb anyone and left the cave.  
  
Raine found a river not far off and washed her face with the water. Wiping her wet face on her sleeve, she looked up at the sky. The sun was rising. Raine stood there as she pondered her dream. It had felt so real. She remembered what Serena had said. Isabel and Taja? Her sisters?  
  
A sound behind her broke into her thoughts and she whirled around quickly. Aries was there. "Don't sneak up on me like that," Raine complained. "I'm sorry if I startled you," Aries said. He came closer. "What are you doing up so early?" he asked, looking at her. "I had a strange dream," she finally said, turning back to look at the gentle river. "Want to talk about it?" he asked. Raine shook her head. There was silence for a few moments.  
  
"How do elves find their gift?" she finally asked, breaking the silence. Aries looked at her curiously. "I don't know. I guess you just know when it happens. Why?" Raine shrugged. "Do you believe me?" Aries asked. "Believe what?" Raine asked, even though she knew what he was talking about. "About you being an elf." Raine shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Maybe." Aries pointed at her right arm. "Will I convince you if I tell you what your birthmark means?" Raine jumped and whirled around to face him. "How on earth do you know so much about me?" she demanded. Aries looked at her. "Everyone knows about you and your..." he trailed off. "Are they really my sisters?" she asked softly. Aries looked at her surprised. "Exactly what dream did you have?" Raine looked at him. "Nothing," she said. "Yes, they are your sisters. Isabel is one year older then you and Taja is the youngest." Aries looked at her. "I would think you would've realized right away that they were related to you because of their birthmarks."  
  
Raine turned again, her face shocked. "What?" she gasped. "Their birthmarks," Aries said. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed theirs yet." Raine shook her head. 'I didn't. But their birthmarks, are they same as mine?" Aries shook his head. "You birthmark is your name in elfish, Raine." Raine shook her head. "That's impossible," she said. Aries sighed. "I haven't seen your birthmark yet Raine, right?" Raine nodded, wondering what he was getting at. "I'll show you what the symbol is. Aries kneeled and grabbed a twig. He used it to draw on the loose soil. "There," he said, standing up. "Isn't that how it looks like?" Raine looked at the drawing in disbelief. He was exactly right. "How..." she started. "How I know?" he asked. "I don't want to shock you, but everyone in Crescent Realm knows about you and your sisters." "Would you stop calling them my sisters!" Raine shouted. She had suddenly felt angry. She knew that her anger wasn't reasonable, but she felt the emotion anyways. Maybe it was because of her growing fear and confusion. How could so many people know about her? It wasn't possible. She didn't even know who she was.  
  
Aries looked at her. "I'm sorry," he said, surprising Raine. She wasn't expecting an apology. "It must be shocking. It's my fault. I shouldn't have told you so much so quickly." Raine looked at him once and then looked away. "Do you trust me?" he asked. Raine didn't answer. "I'll bring you home," he continued despite her silence. "I was looking at your map. I didn't know where were we," Aries admitted sheepishly. Raine didn't answer. "But now I know where we are," he added. Motioning towards the river, he said, "This is river Mystic. It runs through Old Rivendell. The Crescent Realm is near Rivendell." "I know," Raine said, remembering him mentioning it. "We could follow the river and soon be home." He stopped here, nervously. "If," he said, "You want to come." Raine sighed. "When I ran away from home, I was aiming for Mirkwood," she said. "I wanted to meet Elves. I never thought I would be an elf myself," Raine continued. Aries looked at her. She had a convinced look on her face. "So, you believe me?" She nodded. 


	9. Arrival

Taja opened he eyes. It was lighter in the cave so she knew it was morning. She looked around. She was the only one in the cave, besides Gracie who was curled beside her. Smiling at her sleeping body, Taja carefully got up and left the cave, undisturbing her. Taja spied Isabel rummaging through her pack. "How come you didn't wake me up?" she complained, plopping down on a log next to her. Isabel avoided her eyes. "Isabel?" she asked, tentatively. "What's wrong?" Isabel stopped looking through the sack and sighed. "Taja, do you really think that we can be elves?" Taja shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "When Aries first said it, I didn't believe him. But before I fell asleep, I couldn't help thinking that it could be possible," Isabel continued. "And last night...I had a weird dream," she said. Taja smiled. "A weird dream? It's normal to have strange dreams. I mean, last night I had a dream about chasing a bird and it turning into a woman." Taja was looking through her bag as she said this. She pulled out a loaf of bread. "Want some?" she asked Isabel. When she didn't answer, Taja looked up. Isabel's eyes were wide and shocked. "Uh..." Taja started, staring back at Isabel. "What's up?"  
  
"Your dream was chasing a bird and turning into a woman?" Taja shrugged. "It's nothing." She was started to get scared of Isabel's expression. "Oh come one Izz, it was a dream. Nothing to get worked up over." Taja pulled out two slices of bread and handed one to Gracie. Then, Taja folded her slice and bit it. Isabel still looked strange. "No, it's just that I had the exact same dream." Taja coughed. "What?" she said, after catching her breath. "I had the same dream. The woman said she was my great grandmother. And her name was Serena." Taja began to look scared too. "But, that's not possible," she started. "We can't have the same dreams." Isabel nodded. "But we did." Taja tried to remember what happened in her dream. "She said that we are sisters," Taja remembered. "And I said that it couldn't be true," Isabel said. "I asked he if we were sisters, how come we didn't know about each other until the battle." Taja nodded. "I asked something similar too and she said to ask the man we have met and to trust him. That would mean Aries right?" Isabel nodded. "Of course, that would mean Aries, unless he's not a man at all—."  
  
"Who's not a man at all?" Aries asked, emerging from some trees with Raine following. Taja coughed again and turned red. "Nothing, no one," she said quickly. Isabel laughed. Raine blinked a few times and looked at them strangely. "Raine? Are you alright?" Taja ask. Raine started walking towards her. "Raine? What are you doing?" Raine had sat down beside her and started rolling up one of her sleeves. Then, she showed her right arm to Isabel and Taja. Taja gasped. She had a birthmark similar to her's but still different. Taja looked at Raine's arm and then up at her face. "Where...?" but she didn't finish the words.  
  
Isabel stared at Raine's arm. There was a symbol on her arm, almost like her's, but different still. Isabel looked at Taja, who was staring at it too. What did this mean? She turned to Aries, who was standing off to the side, with a knowing look on his face. "How come Raine has a mark on her arm like me?" she demanded. Taja gasped again and looked around at her. "Like you?" she asked. Isabel nodded and pulled up her sleeve to show her arm. "I have a symbol too."  
  
"That's impossible," she said, her voice faint. "We all have the same markings?" Isabel stared at her. "What?" Taja repeated what she said while rolling up her sleeve to show Isabel her symbol too. Isabel looked at Raine who pointed at Aries. Aries sat down next to Gracie, who had been calmly eating her bread all this time. "I have a lot of explaining to do," he said. "We're sisters," Raine said first. "I don't know how we got separated and all, but Aries seemed to know. He said that everyone in Crescent Realm knows." Raine looked at him expectantly. "Well? You said you would explain it once we found Taja and Isabel." Aries sighed. "I did." He looked at them. "Mind you, it might be shocking." "Hmm... I wonder how does it feel like to hear something shocking?" Taja joked weakly. No one laughed. Aries started talking.  
  
"You three are the daughters of Lady Celine and Lord Garreth. You were born a year apart exactly. Your father was the ruler of the Crescent Realm. It was said that you three would be powerful, because the line of women in your family have great powers and senses. One of the most powerful in magic in your family was your great grandmother, Lady Serena. She was the raven goddess. After she passed, elves said that he spirit never died and became a Raven.  
  
"Isabel was the oldest, and then Raine, and lastly Taja. A month after Taja was born, another unexpected battle flamed. The kingdom where you have grown up in had hated Elves and other magical beings for many centuries. They hope to kill us all. The mortals from the kingdom always attacked the Crescent Realm unexpectedly and killing many. When this attack happened, your parents left you in the care of some loyal servants and went out to protect the people. Elfish women fight side by side with men now. It's different from the old days. We aren't sure how exactly they got into the house, but when they had driven out all the soldiers, your parents went back to their home and found all the servants slain and your beds empty. One dying servant told them that a few soldiers had taken you three back to their kingdom. But the servant died before she can tell them why.  
  
"I'm not sure why they took you, maybe it was luck that they didn't kill you three straight off, and I'm not sure how you three ended up separated. But you got picked up by several families and raised, not knowing that you were elves."  
  
A startled silence followed this story. Raine was looking at the ground, her face expressionless, Taja was gaping at Aries, her mouth wide open, and Isabel sat there, confused. "You've got to be joking," Taja finally said, her voice sounding dazed. "You've got it all wrong." Aries shook his head. "But me, an elf?" Taja stammered. Isabel shook her head too. "It's just too hard to believe, Aries." She turned to look at Raine, who was the most stubborn of them all. Raine raised her eyes. "I believe him," she said simply. Isabel shut her mouth and looked at Taja. Taja smiled, but it turned out as a grimace.  
  
"I'm sorry. I know this is shocking. But after Raine told me about her dream, I realized that Lady Gem would want to know about you being found."  
  
"Lady Gem?" Taja questioned. "Your cousin from your mother's side, and a bit like Isabel. She took over ruling in Crescent Realm."  
  
Suddenly, something that had been bothering Raine ever since Aries had told them the tale was remembered. "Wait," she said, looking at Aries and then at Isabel. "Since our father was the ruler of Crescent Realm, does that mean..." Aries nodded and then looked at Isabel. "Isabel, you would be ruler once you get there."  
  
Isabel was stunned. Her? Rule? She never was the ruler of anything. "I can't," she said. "I can't rule a kingdom!" "Lady Gem would be your advisor. She'll aid you." Isabel shook her head. "I can't. She can be the ruler. She's a great ruler, you said so yourself remember?"  
  
"But you would be too. It's not right for the cousin to be the Lady and the true heir not." Taja nodded. Raine sighed. "Why are we worrying about things that haven't happened yet? Don't we have to get there first?"  
  
Taja was embarrassed to admit it, but the thought of actually going to Crescent Realm never occurred to her. But she and her, she still can't believe it, sisters were going to set off to find elves in the first place. It's still the same right? 'You're not fooling yourself,' Taja thought as she begins to pack. 'You life had changed entirely in less three days.'  
  
After packing up, the four elves left their campsite, striking out for Crescent Realm, using the maps as guides.  
  
It was a long trip. It was nearly nightfall by the time they stopped. Aries had wanted to go on because he was not yet tired. But he was used to traveling and walking on for long hours, but the three girls were not. They found a place under some trees and started a fire, careful not to let any of the flames near the roots.  
  
"We didn't walk as fast as we could've," Aries noted, looking at Raine's map in the flicker and glow of the fire. "We should be here," he said, pointing to a place closer to Crescent Realm. "But we're a little farther."  
  
"Hey, you might be accustomed to walk many miles for endless hours, but we aren't," Raine said, beginning to regain her attitude. That morning, she had been less snappish towards Aries, but the long day had begun to take effect on her.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I forgot." Isabel fed a few more branches to the fire and watched as the flames danced. The light reflected in her eyes as she pondered. Taja looked at Gracie. She was already asleep, her hand curled around the strap of Taja's pack. Taja smiled, before opening the bag, careful not to disturb the sleeping girl. She pulled out a small blanket and covered the girl's small body with it. It was a warm night, different from the last night and the last thing Taja saw before she nodded to sleep was Isabel asleep, her head in her arms and Raine staring into the fire.  
  
Isabel woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. She sat up and a blanket fell off of her. She looked around. Raine was asleep, her back facing her and Taja was dozing next to Gracie. A rustle of leaves behind her made her turn and she saw Aries. He was smiling as usual.  
  
"Good morning. I was going to wake you up," he said. Isabel yawned and folded up the blanket. She set it down beside her pack. Aries nodded towards Taja and Raine. "Can you wake them up? We have to get going if we want to get Crescent Realm in time. It's only a few miles west of here."  
  
Isabel felt excitement and nervousness bubble up inside her. But she felt like part of this emotion wasn't hers. It was just like before, when she had "felt" something right before she found Raine. "Are you... nervous?" she asked.  
  
Aries looked at her strangely. "I'm fine, maybe a little. I'm worried about Gracie." Isabel looked at the little girl. "What about her."  
  
"Well, you see, you and your sisters are Elves and practically royalty, of course we would welcome you back, but Gracie..."  
  
"Gracie is human," Isabel said. Aries shook his head. "Not only that, but she also came from the kingdom we hate most."  
  
"She's a child," Isabel said. "It's not fair. She doesn't even know the difference."  
  
"I know that Isabel, but they don't. And some people wouldn't want her in Crescent Realm." Higara.  
  
Aries sighed. "We'll see when we get there." Isabel opened her mouth to protest, but shut it. Turning, she shook Taja's body and then Raine's.  
  
Raine opened her eyes and stared up into Isabel's forest green eyes. "Wake up," Isabel said. She left her side to rouse Taja and Gracie. Raine sat up and looked around. Aries was sitting not far off, packing and their eyes met. Raine broke the eye contact first. Something in the gaze made her feel uncomfortable. Trying to cover her moment of confusion, she stood up and began to help pack.  
  
Taja rolled over, yawning, while Gracie blinked a couple times before sitting up, rubbing her eyes. Taja opened her eyes but closed them almost right away, groaning. The sunlight was bright that morning. Taja sat up after a while and looked around her for a while, like Raine had. Then, she got up to help pack. There wasn't a lot of work left for her to do by that time, but she helped fold up the blankets.  
  
Raine tore off a piece of the bread and offered it to the girl. Taja accepted it gratefully and ate it. Raine gave another piece to Gracie. Isabel looked at Aries, who was staring at the blue sky.  
  
"The weather is unpredictable," he said finally, looking back down and at Isabel, as if he had sensed her watching him. "Rain, and now there isn't a cloud in the sky." Taja stood up.  
  
"Then be grateful it's clear today," she said, grabbing her pack and slinging it over her shoulders. Gracie was eating another slice of bread. Aries shrugged and looked at the sky again before turning his attention to the map he had in his hands.  
  
"We should get there in a few hours, maybe 4 if we walk fast enough," he said, looking at the weathered parchment. Taja went around him to peer at it too. "Where are we right now?" she asked. Aries pointed to a region not far off. "Here." He traced his finger to the moon shaped forest. "We need to get here." Taja turned away and went to pick up Gracie. "Let's get started then, shall we?" she said, trying to disguise the worry in her voice. What was it going to be like in Crescent Realm? She still could not believe that she was an... elf.  
  
One hour, two hours, some time passed, and Raine lost track. She was deep in thought. She looked over at Taja. Her younger sister expression was normal, but Raine can tell from her eyes that she felt a little nervous. 'Well, aren't we all?' she thought, looking back to Aries who was, of course, leading. 'Our whole entire lives changed in just a few days.' She turned to look at Isabel. Her sister was occupied too, and occasionally, she shot worried glances at Taja and Gracie. Raine frowned. Something was bothering her older sibling, but she didn't ask what was wrong. Something made her feel like she shouldn't disturb the silence. All of them had important matters on their minds.  
  
Isabel looked at Gracie again. What if they wouldn't let Gracie stay with them? But they had to, she argued with herself. They have to. If they don't, the elves would a big problem... with her. Suddenly, she was startled out of her reverie with a huge sigh from Aries. He had stopped walking and was staring straight ahead. Isabel looked ahead and saw that they were on a ledge. Looking down, she saw that it wasn't steep and they could slide down easily. She looked at Aries confused. Why had he stopped?  
  
Raine looked at where Aries was looking at. They were on a small edge, and beneath that, sloping ever so slightly, was a green valley. And right in the middle of the valley... was a forest. "That's it, isn't it?" Raine said, uncomfortable for breaking the silence. Aries nodded, his face unreadable. A few moments of silence passed again. "Well, what are standing here for?" Taja said, her voice sounding a little more than nervous. "Let's go." Aries nodded, and climbed down the rock ridge until his feet touched the grassy slope. He looked up and reached out his arms. Taja lowered Gracie down into Aries's out-stretched arms. Aries set Gracie on the ground and then reached up to help Taja. After Taja reached the ground, he gave Isabel his hand and helped her jump down. Isabel fell, and staggered a little, but regained her steadiness. Aries reached up a hand to help Raine, but she ignored him. Raine jumped down by herself, landing perfectly, without falling. Aries shrugged and turned. Isabel was already starting towards the dark green forest, with Taja and Gracie close behind. Aries overtake them with a few long strides. He didn't want to make it obvious, but he felt like they shouldn't enter the Realm without him in the lead. Not because he wanted to be the first, but for safety reasons.  
  
He was right. They had walked under the branches of the first trees, when suddenly, they were surrounded.  
  
Raine looked at the looming trees ahead. Right before she stepped under the first tree, she felt it again. Like something was closing on her. Raine's heart pounded loudly as all sounds faded away and she sensed something ahead of her, in the shadow. Before she could warn the others, they were surrounded. They were Elves. Their bows and arrows were ready to kill. Aries raised up his hands.  
  
"It's me, Aries," he said, his arms still raised. One of them, the leader, replied. "I know you are, Aries son of Kirane, we have spied you and your... companions when you were on that ledge." Aries smiled. "Then, if you knew it was me, why do you greet me like this?" "We aren't attacking you, we are on guard for theses trespassers. Tell me why you have bought strangers in our Realm." Aries looked at the girls behind him and then back at the speaking elves. "Who? These young ladies? Oh, they aren't trespassers. They're elves." The elves shifted slightly. The leading elf raised an eyebrow. "Elves? What are they doing out of the woods if they are of our kin?" Aries looked at him for a long time, thinking carefully of what he should say. "This is an important matter. I have to speak to the Lady."  
  
"Oh, to Lady Gem you must talk to?" an unpleasant voice said suddenly. Higara stepped from the Elves. His tone was nonchalant, but his eyes showed his fury and confusion and his hand was at the hilt of his sword. "And why would a lowly soldier like you want to speak to the Lady?"  
  
"It is none of your business," Aries shot back. Raine noticed that his hand was at his sword too. Higara stepped up to him and glared at the elf. "I wouldn't be so rude if I were you," he started, but another voice cut him off. "Higara," Tauros said warningly, he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and Higara quieted, but his eyes still were filled with menace. Tauros looked at Aries. "Where have you been?" Aries looked at Higara before answering. "I got... separated," he finally answered. Tauros surveyed him silently, as if he knew that he was lying. Finally he said," Come. The Lady is expecting you."  
  
Tauros turned and led the way into the forest, and the soldiers behind him parted to let him pass. Aries followed, with the three sisters close behind. They walked through the dark trees for a few minutes. Raine looked up and nearly gasped. There were houses built on the trees. They didn't seem built, almost as if it the houses were part of the trees. The buildings were elegant and natural looking. They looked as if they were made of bark, but even so, they seemed like crystal. Finally, Aries stopped walking and Raine stopped too, a little surprised. She stepped to the side to see a towering tree, the largest tree she had ever laid eyes on. The branches stretched on, it's branches spreading almost for an eternity, and the roots winding around their feet gracefully. There was an ancient, yet enchanting air around the tree. There was a structure built on this tree too, but it was more like a palace. There was a winding staircase of golden leaves, vines, and crystal leading to the wide entrance on top. And standing in that entrance, was a beautiful elfin lady.  
  
Her skin was pale, but had a glow as if moonlight were lighting up her features. Her midnight black hair was tied back in a long braid that reached her waist. Her eyes were emerald green and had a mysterious gleam in them. She looked graceful and serene but also powerful. Higara, Taurus, and Aries nodded their heads. She smiled "Hello. I have been expecting you," she said calmly. Isabel was surprised at the way she talked so casually. She had thought that she would speak like a royal. Lady Gem beckoned the three girls up the stairs. She looked at Aries and then motioned for him to follow her too. Lady Gem turned and walked back into the entrance of the palace.  
  
Isabel put her hands on the railing and looked around. They were on a large balcony, which had a view of other elfin houses and the Mystic River. She quietly watched as some children played by a tree. "Let's sit down," Lady Gem said. She sat down in a chair by a small table made of polished wood. There were six other chairs around the table. Isabel took the one closest to her and sat down. She glanced at Raine and Taja.  
  
Taja saw Isabel looking at her and gave her a reassuring smile, though she was scared herself. Gracie was sitting in the chair next to her.  
  
Lady Gem sat back and leaned against the chair. It was a while before she spoke. "I saw you coming," she finally said, opening her eyes and looking at Aries. He nodded, understanding. Lady Gem's gift was seeing things that were happening in other places. "Then, you know..." The Lady smiled. "Yes I know," she said for him. She turned to the girls.  
  
"I'm Lady Gem, call me Gem. After all, we're cousins," Gem said. Isabel smiled, Taja nodded, and Raine shrugged. Gem smiled back but it slowly faded. She sighed.  
  
"It's going to be some time before we can sort this out," she said. Gem looked at Isabel. "But one thing is very important, you are now the Ruler, Isabel."  
  
"But—," she protested. Gem looked at her. "I know you don't want to be," she continued, "But, it's right, and I know you'll do great." Isabel shut her mouth and looked around. "The people would want you to rule," Gem added softly. Isabel looked around, hoping for someone to back her up. "I don't know how," she finally said lamely. "That's what I'm here for," Gem said, standing up. "I'll help you." She looked at Raine, Taja, and Aries. "I'll show you to your rooms," she said, looking directly at Aries. "You're staying for the night," she said directly at Aries. Aries looked surprised. "No, I mean," he got up and nodded his head deeply, "I can't Lady Gem. I have some business to attend to." When he said the last words, a frown filled his face.  
  
"Alright, if you must, but you'll always be welcome here." Aries nodded again and then departed from the room. Gem turned to the girls and smiled. She motioned to the door. "Well," she started, making a sweeping motion, "may I show you to your rooms?" 


	10. A New Life, 4 Years

A few minutes later, the four girls were walking down the hall. Gem stopped in front of a tapestry, "This is a map of the palace." She pointed at various parts of the tapestry while telling the girls about the places. Finally, she showed the rooms that will be there's.  
  
"I'll have to call some people to lead you to them," she said. "I have important matters to attend to, I'm sorry." She clapped her hands. Three elves appeared to lead them to the rooms. They bowed.  
  
"Uh... hello?" Taja said nervously, trying not to laugh. One of the servants smiled and said hello back. He reached for her bag. "Uh no thank you," she said. "I can carry it myself." The elf smiled and led down the hall and to the left. They turned a couple times and Taja began to worry that she would get lost. She turned to look behind her. Her sisters were nowhere to be seen. She turned to the front again and saw the elf motioning her to follow him. Gracie had stopped and looked back at her questionably. Taja smiled at her and followed. The servant had opened the door to a room for her.  
  
Taja walked by him and through the door, smiling and giving her thanks. She took one look at her room and her jaw dropped open. Her pack fell from her hand. The elf left behind her and closed the door, but the girl took no notice. She strode out to the middle of the vast wide room and spun around trying to take in the largeness of the room. Everything in the room was a deep purple shade. Her bed was large and had a canopy covering with hangings. Gracie immediately went to jump on the bed. A large polished wooden desk was in the corner and there were bookshelves filled with many books. Taja looked up at the ceiling. The royal purple was dotted with silver stars. Taja walked towards the large doors and opened them. She stepped out onto the vast balcony, and gasped in awe. The view overlooked a waterfall and a graceful river running past the palace. Taja pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It hurt. She turned to a sound to the right of her. There was another enormous balcony and Isabel was emerging from the billowing curtains. She looked around in the same amazement as Taja had. The older girl spotted her sister and laughed. Taja looked to her left just in time to see Raine emerging from another balcony. She wasn't laughing or smiling, but her eyes showed peace.  
  
Part 2  
  
4 years later  
  
Raine quickly ran a brush through her hair and stood back to survey herself in the mirror. She was wearing Elvin dress robes of deep navy blue. A silver necklace hung delicately from her neck. Raine looked at the tiny golden crown on the bed. She decided not to wear it. It was a hassle and others gawked at her in it too much. Four years had passed and she still wasn't comfortable with all the royalty things. There was a knock on the door. "Come in," she said absentmindedly, remembering old times. Isabel entered, her silver dress robes swishing behind her. She was wearing her crown. She smiled at the sight of Raine. "Hello, sister," she greeted her, and hugged her. Raine stiffly embraced her and then stood back. "You look amazing," Raine said. Isabel's smile widened. "You too," Isabel said. She walked over to the bed and picked up the crown. "Why don't you ever wear it?" Raine sighed and went over to her desk. Her diary was left wide open and now she slammed it shut and safely placed it in a drawer.  
  
"Because I see no point in it," she said for the millionth time. "All it does is make my head heavier." Isabel shrugged. "Okay, fine, whatever you want, but Gem isn't going to be happy." "She isn't happy with anything I do," Raine pointed out. Isabel walked back over to her younger sister. ""That isn't true," she protested. This time Raine shrugged. "Where's Taja?" she asked, changing the subject. Isabel went to the door and opened it for Raine. "Probably downstairs at the party. Keeping an eye on Gracie most likely." "Two eyes," Raine corrected, leaving the room with Isabel close behind her. "That girl's becoming quite a handful." Isabel grinned. "I agree."  
  
The two young women, continued down the hall silently. As they turned the corner, Isabel broke the silence. "So... Are you nervous?" "Nervous?" Raine asked. "Why would I be nervous?" Isabel glanced at her, but Raine's face showed no trace that she was lying. "Well, Aries is going to be there." Raine looked at Isabel? "And?"  
  
"We hadn't seen him for four years." Isabel said. "I wondered how much he changed. Did you ever wonder about him?" Yes I have, Raine thought. A couple times over the past years. They reached the wide entrance of the Raven Palace and started down the grand staircase. The party had started and they could see all the elves dancing and feasting. Isabel and Raine neared the party when one of their faithful, and very ancient, servants came up to them. Gaffin walked up to them and nodded deeply. "My ladies," he said, smiling, his old eyes twinkling mischievously. "Hello," Isabel replied smiling. Raine smiled. She started to walk into the crowd when Gaffin blocked her with an outstretched arm. "My lady Raine," he started with a laugh in his voice. "There are to be no weapons in the party. There is no need at all." Raine rolled her eyes, but untied the dagger she was stealthily hid under a layer of her dress. Gaffin took it and let Raine enter. She looked around as she walked, trying to spot her younger sister. She finally saw her talking to a man about something. She seemed excited. Taja was wearing a red and gold dress and her hair was up. Raine went over to a small vacant table and seated herself. Raine noticed a small bare foot popping out from under the table. Pulling up the tablecloth, she leaned over and peeked under the table. A nine-year-old girl stared back, giggling. Her brown hair was falling out of her ponytail and her robes had a few grass stains on the hem. "Shh...." Gracie whispered. Raine sighed audibly and dropped the tablecloth.  
  
"Hey Raine!" Raine looked up to see her younger sister's smiling face. "Hey," Raine said. "Have you seen Gracie?" Raine pointed silently to the foot sticking out from behind the tablecloth. Taja nodded. Someone came up behind her. "Oh!" Taja said, remembering something. She grabbed the person by the arm and dragged him up to Raine. "Remember him?" Raine looked up at the man she had seen talking to Taja earlier. He smiled crookedly, his hair looking like it had been swept by the wind.  
  
"Hello Aries," Raine said. Why was she feeling embarrassed? He had grown taller and was wearing robes of dark green. "Hey," he said. "Sit down," Raine said, motioning to the empty chairs at her table. Aries pulled out a chair for Taja and she gratefully sat down. Aries then pulled out a chair for himself and seated himself. "So..." He started. "How's life been for you?"  
  
"Isabel!" Isabel turned around and saw her cousin hurrying towards her. "You look good," Gem said, looking at her. "You too," Isabel said. Gem was wearing purple robes with red hems. "Everyone we invited came," Gem said, looking around in satisfaction. "That means everyone in Crescent Realm right?" Isabel asked, watching a young elf run pass her. Gem frowned slightly. "I didn't really like the idea of children here, but it is the 22nd of September." Isabel nodded. "Cormare."  
  
Gem spotted Taja and Raine. "She isn't wearing her crown again," she said. Isabel shrugged. "She hates it and we can't really make her." Gem let it go. "Oh, by the way, someone's been looking for you," Gem said suddenly. Isabel felt annoyed. Not again. "I told him that you'd be out later. He's to your far right talking to his brother. You can try to avoid him." "Thanks," Isabel said. "I don't need him stalking me today." Gem sighed. "But I still don't know why you don't like him. He's wealthy, honorable, brother of a captain---." "Oh it can't be that he's arrogant and his head bloated but still empty?" Isabel cutted in scathingly. Gem surveyed her silently. "I'm sorry," Isabel said. Gem just shook her head and said, "You shouldn't hang out with Raine too much. It's rubbing off on you." "She's my sister!" Isabel called after her retreating back. "Life?" Raine asked. "Okay I guess." A new song, a slow one, started. "Would you want to dance with me?" Aries asked Taja. "No, I have to check on the food," Taja said, getting up. Raine pointed at her slipping crown. Taja straightened it. "Thanks." She looked at them. "You guys dance for now," she said, turning to leave. Raine looked at Aries. He grinned. "Shall we?" Raine nodded, allowing a small smile and taking his hand.  
  
Isabel took a seat by a giant tree and watched the dancers. Suddenly someone came up to her table. "Now why would such a lovely young lady not have a dancing partner?" Isabel looked up and inwardly moaned. Not him.  
  
Higara smiled at her, looking her up and down. "May I have the honor of dancing with The Lady?" Isabel smiled back but she was actually trying to think of an excuse. "Uh..." Taja appeared at the table. "Isabel, Gem's asking for you." Isabel stood up more quickly than normal. "Lead me to her." The two girls walked off into the crowd without another glance at Higara.  
  
"Thanks," Isabel said gratefully. Taja smiled brightly. "Gem didn't really want to see me right?" Taja shook her head no. "No, I just thought you might needed a little help." "More like a lot," Isabel said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Let's go check at the food for now okay?" Isabel nodded.  
  
"How's training?" "Great," Raine said. She felt uncomfortable. She didn't usually dance, especially with guys. "I finished training a week ago," She added. Aries nodded. "So, what's your weapon? Bow and arrows?" "No, sword."  
  
"Ah," he said. "Are you any good?" "I don't know, you have to fight me sometimes to find out," Raine said. "What's your ideal weapon?" "Sword," he answered. "But I'm handy with a bow and arrow." "Isabel uses bow and arrows, but she always has a dagger somewhere." "And Taja?" Raine laughed. "She's a strange one. She doesn't usually use weapons." Aries remembered. "Oh. Is it true that she figured out her power?"  
  
"We all did," Raine corrected. "Right. Sorry. We haven't met for a long time." "Yes, we discovered our powers a few months after we came back. Isabel and I always suspected what our powers were after you mentioned for the first time about powers." Raine laughed again. "Taja found her power after she was practicing fighting with the master. They were on a cliff and she tripped over a boulder and fell off the edge." "So it's true," Aries said. "Her power—." "Is levitation," Raine confirmed, smiling. "I was there when it happened. It gave me quite a scare when she went over. But you should've seen her face when she came back levitating." Aries laughed. "So you're power is intuition, like a sixth sense." "I know when something bad is going to happen or if something's sneaking up on us and Isabel can feel your emotion. But not if you hide them very well." Aries nodded. A pretty elf came up to them.  
  
"Oh!" Aries said. He pulled the girl to him and beamed at Raine. "This is Beretta." Raine nodded. Any trace of a smile was gone and she was back to her surly self. Beretta smiled at Raine, "Hello!" Aries said, "She's my fiancé."  
  
Raine stood there, her face showing her surprise. "Well, uh... congratulations!" She finally stammered, forcing a small smile on her face. Beretta laughed and hung onto Aries. "Thank you." Taja came up to them. "Hello!" Taja smiled at the petite elf. "Who are you?" Beretta smiled back. "This is my fiancé," Aries explained. "Really?" Taja exclaimed. "I didn't know you were engaged!" "I didn't either," Raine said, her fake smile faded. "Best wishes for the both of you," Taja said. "You're really lucky," she said to Beretta. "I know I am," Beretta said. Raine took a step back. "I'm... going to find Isabel. I just remembered something." Raine turned with a twirl of her robes and walked off, her sister staring at her, confused.  
  
Isabel stood at the foot of the steps. She cleared her throat. All the elves quieted down and turned their attention to the Lady. "Hello," she began. "Welcome to the traditional party of Cormare. This story is well known to all of you, but all of us always want to hear the tale again. Lady Gem will be saying the story."  
  
Raine walked away from the crowd and into the shadows of the trees. She walked until she reached the clearing behind the castle. She walked on the slippery wet stones by the river and sat on a boulder. She pulled off her slippers and let her feet dangle in the cool water, pulling her robes back so they didn't get wet. As she kicked the water, she thought back on her life.  
  
Isabel walked into the crowd and sat at an empty table. Lady Gem strided to the foot of the steps and cleared her throat as her cousin had. "This is the story of Nine- Fingered Frodo and the One Ring." She started into the familiar tale. Isabel leaned back in her chair and pictured the story in her mind. It was one of her favorites. She didn't hear someone sitting in the chair next to her until he spoke. "I don't like this story." Isabel opened her eyes and sat up. Higara continued. "The person who wrote the tale should've given more attention to the elves. Instead they focus on made-up characters." "It's a true story," Isabel said, a little more icy than she meant too. Higara laughed. "No it isn't. Hobbits don't exist. They're probably just terribly short mortals." Isabel left the table, not wanting to talk to him any longer.  
  
Raine woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. She sat up and pulled back the hangings around her bed. She blinked in the sudden bright light and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It took her eyes a few minutes to adjust to the light. Then, she got up to open the doors leading to her balcony. It was a clear, warm morning, with only a hint of a breeze. Raine put her arms out on the wall and looked down at the waterfall. All was peaceful.  
  
A few minutes later, she was writing in her journal at the desk. She dipped her raven feather quill into the inkbottle and looked at the paper thoughtfully while the ink dripped off the tip. A sudden knock shook her out of her reverie. "Who is it?" Raine called out. "Us." "Come in." Raine continued to write. Isabel opened the door and walked in with Taja right behind her. Isabel went over to Raine's book shelf to look at the numerous books. 


	11. The Lands of Death

Please review or I won't write any more!! I'm sorry that this chapter is so little, but I'm having a little trouble here.  
  
Raine turned around once to looked at what her sisters were doing, then turned back round to continue jotting down her thoughts. Isabel pulled out a heavy book called "Middle Earth Tales of Friendship and Courage." She opened it to a book marked page. Nine-Fingered Frodo and the Ring of Doom. "You like the tale?" Isabel asked, mildly surprised. Raine never showed any sign of listening during the traditional reading. "Hm?" Raine asked absentmindedly, frowning at the page she was writing on.  
  
"Frodo and the Ring. I didn't know you liked it," Isabel repeated, closing the book and sliding it back onto the shelf. "Oh, That." Raine said, turning around and looking at her older sister. "I wasn't really listening. Yeah, it's one of my favorites." She turned around again. Taja came up behind her and peered over her shoulder. "What's that you're so concentrated on?" Raine shut the book quickly and looked at her sister. "My journal. It's private," Raine pointed out. Taja held her hands up innocently and backed up to the bed. Raine reopened it and re-dipped her quill. A knock sounded at the door. "Who is it?" Raine asked. "Me."  
  
Isabel made to open the door. Raine gave her a look. Isabel stared right back and opened the door to let Aries into the room. "Hello," she smiled at the elf. "My lady," he said respectfully back with a nod of the head. He saw Taja and said to her, "Gracie's searching your room for hidden sweets." Taja laughed. "I'll deal with her later," she replied. Aries looked at Raine, but her back was turned to him and was continuing to write in her journal.  
  
Isabel frowned at Raine. She can tell with her gift that her sister was feeling a bit resentful. But why?"  
  
Why am I feeling so angry? Raine thought to herself, her writing paused for a moment. It's not like I have any reason to be angry towards Aries. He did nothing wrong. Raine sighed and laid her quill on the table. She turned around. "Good morning Aries," She said with her half smile. "We haven't eaten breakfast yet. Will you join us?" Aries looked taken aback and her sisters exchanged looks. It wasn't ordinary for Raine to invite someone. Aries smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry," he said. "I would like to, but I'm actually here to tell you that there is to be a council today. Lady Gem has some important news and information to share. She was busy so she had me deliver the message." Raine frowned. A council? There isn't a council unless something really bad has happened. "Do you have any idea what the meeting is about?" she asked. Aries shook his head. "I'm not sure, but it has to do with Wizengard and the Lands of Death."  
  
Taja remembered Wizengard, her old home. But the mere thought of the Lands of Death chased the memory away. The Lands of Death... Where the Ring was destroyed. Taja opened her mouth to ask, but Aries shook his head. "I have no other idea what the meeting is about, but I'll let you know if I do." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving the girls staring at one another, questions in their eyes.  
  



	12. The Meeting of the Descendants

Hi! Sorry I haven't posted for a long time... Got writer's block and all.  
  
insanity-is-my-friend: thx! -  
  
After Isabel and Taja left, Raine sat down before her dresser and gazed at her reflection. The Lands of Death... Why would there be a meeting of that place? There hasn't been a meeting about Mordor since the Fellowship has been created. She absentmindedly pulled her hair up and tied it in a high ponytail. She grabbed her dagger, Gaffin had returned it to her the night before. Tying it securely, she left the room for her morning walk.  
  
Isabel hovered in front of the wide doors of the meetinghouse anxiously. She didn't know that this meeting would be so important, but after the people began to arrive, she began to notice the urgency. There were people representing all races of Middle Earth here and there wasn't such a meeting since... "Since the Fellowship was made," the elf whispered to herself. "What was that?" Gem asked, coming up next to her. "Nothing," Isabel said. "It's just that..." She turned to her cousin, her eyes serious. "What is going on?" Gem sighed. "I'm not sure." But Isabel felt Gem's emotion. "You know what the meeting is about. Why won't you tell your cousin?" Gem turned away and looked at the next person arriving. "Even if Aries hadn't told me that you have information, I would've felt your emotion." Isabel looked at Gem intently and didn't look at the incoming until Gem nodded at him. Isabel turned at look at him and gasped.  
  
Taja was seated in one of the chairs and watching the people come in. She had this foreboding feeling that something was going to happen and she wasn't going to like it very much. She already suspected what was going on, and the newest arrival made her almost sure. He was incredibly short, the most 3 foot 9, and his curly dark brown hair was tousled. He wore plain trousers and a white shirt. He also had a dark green cloak. He stopped before Taja and bowed his head. "My lady," he said smiling. Taja stared at him, her eyes widen in disbelief. The hobbit walked away and took the seat next to the dwarves. Taja looked at the entrance and saw her older sister there, her eyes reflecting Taja's bewilderment and wonder.  
  
Raine walked briskly to the entrance and spotting her sister there, she waved. "Hi," she said, hurrying up to her. "Am I late?" "No," Isabel said, looking slightly dazed. Raine looked at her quizzically and was about to ask what was wrong, but Gem came up to them. "It's starting."  
  
Raine took her seat between Isabel and Taja, folding her hands on the stone table. She looked down at the people seated at the long table. A couple elfin soldiers she had seen in the realm, an elf she had never seen, Aries, Gem, and her sisters. Raine looked to her left. 2 mortal men, Higara, Taurus, 3 dwarves, and... Her mouth dropped open. A hobbit.  
  
Taurus cleared his throat. "We are gathered here for an important meeting." He nodded at Isabel and Gem. "I beg you pardon for not telling you this information beforehand, but now it is to be discussed." The two ladies nodded. Isabel leaned back slightly into her chair. Taurus continued. "The people seated at this table are very important. It took many days for us to track them down." "It sounds like the matter is great," Raine cut in, glancing at Gem and Taurus. "Why didn't you tell us what the problem was before?" Taurus nodded. "I am sorry. I know that it was wrong, I didn't want to trouble you." "But, still, we have the right to know what is going on." Taja looked at Raine and Raine bit her lip, but said no more. "I realized now that it was a mistake," Taurus said again. He continued with the introductions. "These people are none other than the descendants of the Fellowship."  
  
He paused slightly, giving the 3 sisters the time to exchange looks. "They are Estellan, Descendant of King Estel himself, Haovign, Descendant of Faramir, brother of Borrimir, Adiean, Elf from the Woodland Realm and the House of Greenleaf, Darek, Descendant of Samwise Gamgee, and Erwin, Descendant of Gimli." He looked around the table. "The others are faithful companions that have decided to accompany them to Crescent Realm."  
  
Lady Gem spoke up. "This matter is very important and I regret not telling my cousins about this." She stopped to take out a map. Spreading the ancient parchment across the stone surface, she pointed at the Lands of Death.  
  
"Today's meeting is concerning the Lands of Death, called Mordor in the past. It is about the amulet of darkness."  
  
Taja was puzzled. What amulet of darkness? She looked around and saw the scared and foreboding faces of the other elves. Was she the only one here that didn't know what was going on? She was about to ask that question when Raine broke the tense silence.  
  
"The dark amulet," she said quietly. Taja looked at her older sister. Her face was expressionless as always, but her eyes showed wariness. "What about it?"  
  
Gem looked at her for a few moments before answering her. "The dark lord has risen."  
  
"Not possible," Isabel stammered. "He is dead. There is no Dark lord since..."  
  
"Since Sauron," Gem nodded. "What are you trying to say?" Aries demanded. "What she is saying is that Sauron, the dark lord and enemy of the free lands of Middle Earth has risen again," Taurus said.  
  
"This is completely stupid," Raine stated. "Sauron is dead. Frodo threw in the ring and destroyed it and the Lord with it." "I understand your doubt, but it is true," Gem said, her eyes beginning to show her impatience. Isabel nudged Raine and shot her a look. Raine gave Gem a look before settling down. "He is alive and looking for the ring." "What ring?" Aries cut in. It was obvious that he didn't believe this anymore than Raine did. "The ring was destroyed." "It was, or seemed like it," Gem said. "When the Ring was cast into the fire, Mt. Doom was destroyed with it in an explosion. A small shard of the ring was discovered and melted to make a gold part of a small necklace." Gem took out another yellowed piece of parchment and unfurled it, spreading it across the other paper. It was a detailed picture of a necklace.  
  



	13. The Second Fellowship

LOL. I'm kind of having a hard time with the story. I know what to do and all, but I'm having a little trouble putting it together.......  
  
Joseph: thanks for the counts 8 (!) reviews. This chapter is also short so sry.  
  
"This necklace is placed in an ancient temple in the Misty Mountains. The temple is heavily guarded." Taja's foreboding feeling grew steadily stronger. She was almost sure what was coming.  
  
"Sauron's forces are not the only ones searching for the hidden amulet. I saw that the Kingdom of Wizengard has also heard of this amulet. To them, it is a precious treasure. The king believed that if he had it, his kingdom would prosper and he would be ruler of Middle Earth. But the ring belongs to Sauron himself. It would destroy him and the Dark Lord will get it back. Middle Earth will be doomed if the King or Sauron gets it." Gem stopped to catch her breath. "So... What you're saying is..." Higara said, disbelievingly. Gem nodded.  
  
"We have to get the amulet before they do and destroy it," Raine said. "But Mt. Doom is gone. It's the last place that it can be destroyed," Aries pointed out. "Not quite," Taurus said. "Mount Doom was destroyed, but where it once stood, is now a bottomless pit of black fire."  
  
Raine raised her eyebrows skeptically, but a nudge from Isabel kept her from commenting. "Is the pit guarded heavily?" Isabel asked quickly, before her sister can add anything. "I should think so," Taurus sighed. "The problem is, last time there was a quest to destroy the ring, Sauron didn't think that the ring was to be destroyed. He thought that the ring was in the hands of a new bearer and that bearer wanted to cast him down and take his place as the Dark lord. He has learned his lesson now. Sauron must've had the pit heavily guarded."  
  
Taja leaned forward. "So Sauron is alive and wants the ring, or the amulet, back." Gem nodded. "And this meeting is not only to discuss the problem," Raine said slowly. "The amulet must be retrieved from the hidden temple and destroyed in Mordor." He looked around at all the people seated at the table. "We are gathered here today to decide who shall go." A ringing silence greeted this statement. Isabel looked around at Raine, feeling a little anxious. It was very like Raine to...  
  
"I will go," Raine said. Isabel shook her head. "No." Raine looked around at her older sister defiantly. "I have to right to choose what I do." "I won't let you, Isabel said again. "Isabel," Taja said quietly. "As much as I don't like the idea of Raine going either, she has the right to choose." Raine looked at Taja thankfully. "And I'm coming too," Taja added. Higara chuckled. "It's not safe for young women to be on a quest like this. It should be the brave soldiers that go." Higara raised his eyebrows suggestively. "That wouldn't be you then," Aries cut in. "I'm going."  
  
"Who says the women that want to go are too young. I'm 22. To mortals, I'm no longer 'young,'" Isabel said to Higara, who was currently glaring at Aries for his smart remark. "Does that mean..." Raine asked. Isabel stared at her disbelievingly. "You think that I'm going to let both of my sisters go on this without me." "But, you're the ruler of Crescent Realm," Taurus protested. Isabel glanced at her cousin. "Lady Gem was a great ruler and still is, as advisor. I think she wouldn't mind taking over while I go on this journey." Gem shook her head. "I wouldn't mind that, but be careful." "I will."  
  
A few more people volunteered to go. Taurus had to stay behind to protect the Realm as always. Higara wanted to go, but stayed behind also to help his brother on Lady Gem's request. And Darek, being a hobbit, decided that the trip wasn't for him and wanted to return to the Shire. The people who wanted to go and could go were: Raine, Isabel, Taja, Aries, Adiean, and Haovign. Isabel leaned back into her chair as Higara began to speak.  
  
"This journey would surely be very dangerous and I feel that some of the people who are going should not go." His eyes lingered on Isabel. "And I feel terrible that I can not go and protect those." Raine fought the strong impulse to roll her eyes and instead coughed. Taja's mouth twitched slightly as if she was about to smile. If Higara noticed the sister's reaction, he didn't show it as he looked at Isabel.  
  
"Well," Taja said, her voice quavering slightly, but not from fear, but from laughter. "We got this settled, when are we going?"  
  



	14. Emotions

Can you believe it?!?!?!?! I finally updated!! And I'm sorry to say that this chapter is also very, very short... I have writer's block so just bear with me. After you finish, please please please review!!!! Thank you!!!

The moment Raine entered her room, she grabbed her journal and walked out to her balcony. She pulled up a chair to the table and started to write. She didn't feel like packing just yet and she had all day to do that. Although the meeting seemed to take forever, it was only a few hours. Raine stopped writing for a little bit.

She began to talk to herself. "I'm leaving at dawn tomorrow on this journey to destroy an amulet that should've been destroyed anyways. The Dark Lord is alive and searching for the amulet. He has all the orcs and Uruk-Hai and other creatures fighting for him, plus he'll be on guard this time. Besides that, my old kingdom with their stupid delirious ruler is out to get the amulet and rule the world." Raine stopped to breath in. "And yet, I'm not scared." Raine stopped for a minute to ponder her feelings. Excitement, yes, Fear, no. Raine shook her head. "I really am insane."

"I knew it!" a cheerful voice chirped from her right. Raine looked over the railing and saw her younger sister Taja laughing from her balcony. Raine scowled, but it turned to a smile against her will. "How long have you been there?" Taja shrugged. "Just in time to hear your confession I guess." Raine snorted. She looked down at a page in her journal. "You're not packing?" Taja continued.

"No, not yet," Raine said, jotting down something. "Ok, I'm done. I'm going to pack now." Taja rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I should be starting too," she said, and with a small wave of her hand, she disappeared into the curtains. Raine closed her journal and closed the bottle of ink. She walked back into her room. Setting her things on the table, she looked around her wide room. She shouldn't bring too much things. Raine opened her closet and rooted through the outfits. They were all plain things, and just a couple dresses. She wasn't the kind of elf to obsess over clothing. All the fancy party dresses that she had worn to parties had been either Taja's or Isabel's. Raine began to pick out the plainest outfits and throwing them behind her onto the desk.

Isabel sat on her bed. She was already through packing. Gaffin had just informed her that the food would be packed for her and she should pick up the packages tomorrow before she left. The oldest of the three sisters sighed. She patted the pack one time and then left the room to see Raine.

She knocked on the door of her younger sister's room and waited until she said, "come in." Isabel let herself in and saw Raine folding her clothes and stowing it in the pack. "Still not done yet? I am." Raine shrugged. A few moments passed silently. Finally, Isabel broke the silence. "Are you nervous?" Raine turned around to look at her. "No," she said truthfully. Isabel sighed and sat down on the bed. "Are you?" her younger sister asked, tying the bag up and setting it on the floor by the bed. She sat down next to her. "Are you nervous?" Isabel nodded. "Of course I am." She looked around the room as she talked. "4 years ago I found out I had a family and wonderful sisters. I don't want to lose it." Raine studied her with her green eyes. She tentatively hugged her older sister. She usually didn't get all touchy feeling, but this was an exception. "You wont," she whispered. Isabel smiled into her shoulder.

"I can't believe it!" Gracie shouted at her, her eyes flashing her hurt and anger. "You can't leave!" Taja sighed. "I'm not leaving forever. I'll be coming back. It's only a little trip." Gracie stomped around the room. "Well, if it's a little trip, why can't I go with you?" Taja sat down on the bed, pushing her pack away to make room. "Gracie, I'm sorry." Gracie shot her a look and then ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Taja sighed again and fell onto the bed.

So? Did you hate it? Love it? I'm sorry that it's so short... please review!!!! Click that little button down there... yes that one. I'll try to update as soon as I can.

Shelina


	15. The Quest Begins

Hi! Shelina here. I'm sorry that I haven't been updating and all. This chapter is pretty short, and it sucks… but I'll revise it later…

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Lord of the Rings. I tired to buy it for 3 cents and a paper clip but they turned me down. It was a perfectly good paper clip too…

Raine yawned and rubbed her eyes. She didn't get any sleep yesterday and they were going to leave soon. She was sitting outside the Raven Palace petting her horse absentmindedly, waiting for the rest to meet her there. Isabel was fumbling with her pack, trying to tighten it on her horse, an unreadable expression etched on her face. Taja had come out, but left again in search of Gracie. The girl had tried to gain permission to come again, but she was greeted by the same answers she got yesterday. Gracie just didn't understand how dangerous and important this mission was. Taja came out of the palace, troubled looking.

"How'd it go?" Raine asked, stopping her petting looking at her. Taja shook her head. Isabel sat next to the youngest sister to say reassuring words. "Good morning," Aries said, from behind Raine. She jumped involuntarily into the air. She scowled at him. "Good morning," she said back reluctantly. Aries set his pack on the ground and sat down next to her. "Are you ready?" Raine shrugged. "I'm always ready," she said. Aries smiled.

"Hello Aries," Isabel said to the elf. "Hello, mi lady," he said back. He nodded at Taja. "Good morning." Taja smiled weakly back, still troubled about Gracie. Aries looked at Raine questionably. She shook her head. "She's not having a very good morning," she whispered to him so that Taja couldn't overhear. Aries nodded to show that he understood. Raine sighed and laid her head in her arms. "What's wrong? Didn't get enough sleep?" She nodded again, moving aside hesitantly to make room for him to sit. Aries sat down next to her on the stone bench. The two of them sat in the silent of the brisk morning, lost in their thoughts. The sound of footsteps reached their ears and the four of them stood up to greet the rest of their companions. Adiean and Haovign smiled and bowed deeply at the sight of the three ladies and the soldier.

"Everything's ready," Isabel said, looking around at her companions. "We should start the journey right away." They all nodded, showing that they were ready to start. Taja gave a small glance back at the palace, but mounted her horse. Isabel slowed so she could talk to her younger sister. "She's going to be fine," she said, referring to Gracie. Taja nodded. "I know, it's just that I've never had someone so mad at me. And she made me feel guilty." "There isn't another way," Isabel assured. "Gracie would've stayed behind, whether she liked it or not. The trip is too dangerous for her." Taja nodded, reassured, and made her horse trot faster. Isabel smiled.

They were nearing the edge of the Crescent Realm now. Some of the elves had gathered to see them off. Isabel nodded to them and smiled, slightly nervous because of their grim facades. 'It's like we're never coming back," she thought. Nevertheless, the fellowship kept on going. As they reached the last of the trees, they caught sight of Higara and his soldiers. He walked up to Lady Isabel and bowed. "My lady, I wish you the best of luck," he murmured to her. Isabel looked down at him and forced herself to smile back. "Thank you."

Raine rolled her eyes. She was beginning to feel impatient. They were never going to go on the quest at this rate. Finally, Higara stepped back and let them pass. Aries ignored the sneer he got from him and followed. The bright light shone down at them as they left the dark shelter of the trees. They blinked, shielding the sun from their eyes. They started North of Crescent Realm and up the sloping valley.

They soon reached a dirt road and started to follow it. Raine was worried about being out in the open where anyone could see them, but Isabel told her that it was only for a little while. Sure enough, after half an hour, they road led into another forest, though this one was dark, and not as grand as Crescent Realm. It took them a while for their eyes to readjust to the darkness under the trees.

"The trees here are evil," Adiean remarked, looking up at them. Taja looked up the branches above her, slightly worried. "It's fine," Adiean said to her. "As long as we don't do anything to them, I think they won't harm us." "Think?" Taja joked, but she still watched the trees warily. Haovign chuckled. "Adiean is from the Woodland Realm. He grew up with trees. If he says that it's safe. It is safe, Lady." "Call me Taja," Taja said. "I don't like being called Lady." Isabel smiled.

See??? I told you it sucked! Review anyways…


	16. The Curse

Hello Readers!

I know I haven't been updating or anything, and I'm really sorry. And I'm also sorry that I'm such a horrible writer. TT

Thanks to the people who said that my story was good and encouraged me:

Jo

KB

El

Niphi

Lil'

again, thanks so much!

"Taja," Haovign said slowly. Taja laughed. The trees rustled at the foreign sound. She stopped abruptly and stared at the trees. Everyone continued onwards.

"How long is it?" Raine asked, urging her horse to go faster to catch up to Aries. He was staring off into space, but at the sound of her voice, he came back to earth. "

To the temple?" He asked. Raine rolled her eyes.

"Obviously."

"We can make it there in good time, maybe half a week if we hurry." Raine nodded. The sound of laughter reached her ears and she looked back to see her sister joking around with their new companions. Raine straightened and returned her gaze before her once more. Her stern façade didn't betray any emotion, but inside, an uneasy feeling clenched and unclenched at the bottom of her stomach. Aries seemed to notice, nonetheless. "Something wrong?" He asked. Raine pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Nothing's wrong," she muttered, her hands tightening on her reins. Her knuckles were white as she clenched her grip. She saw this as she looked down and loosen her hand. She didn't even know why she was feeling so angry.

"Well, if you're sure," he said. Her anger flared at this simple comment. Why does he have to be so nosy? She always took care of herself, and always will.

"Yes I'm sure," She said stiffly. When she dared to steal a look at him, he was staring straight ahead, thoughtfully. Raine sighed inwardly, and relaxed her tense shoulders. It was silent now, as the sky grew steadily darker. All was quiet except for the whispered conversation behind her.

Isabel didn't know why they were whispering. As the light grew dimmer and they began to rely on the moonlight, the air around them seemed choked. They whispered as if they were afraid that the trees would hear them. She turned and listened to her sister, Taja, who was now talking in hushed tones.

"So far I've only managed to hover a few feet in the air for a couple minutes. Sometimes less. I tire easily," she said. Taja added, a smile on her face, "Believe it or not."

"That's still remarkable," Haovign murmured, his fascination gleaming in his greenish-brownish eyes.

"Yes, it is," Adiean added. "All elves have magical gifts of their own, but this is the first time I had met someone with the talent of levitation." Taja blushed slightly at all this interest.

"Isabel's gift is also pretty amazing," she said, changing the subject and steering the attention away from her. "Thought, it scares me at times. She always can tell when I'm lying." Taja laughed. "I'm a terrible liar, and I hate lying. I always feel nervous when I try to fib." Adiean looked at Isabel.

"So you can read minds?" he asked. Isabel looked startled.

"No, not minds, thank goodness. I don't know if I can handle that much power," she said. "I can feel your emotion if it's strong enough. I can't if you mask it extremely well." Haovign nodded.

"Impressive, even so," he said. Taja shrugged.

"I guess elves are just lucky," she laughed quietly.

"Time to stop," Aries said, butting into their conversation. "Sorry to interrupt or anything, but it's getting kind of difficult to see." Isabel looked up at the sky in surprise. It had grown darker and even the moonlight was faint. She nodded, but realizing that they couldn't see her gesture, she spoke.

"Let's set camp." Isabel descended from her horse gracefully, her elvish feet hardly making a sound on the dirt ground. She couldn't see her friends or sisters clearly, but registered their outline. She turned to her horse and started to unpack some food and blankets.

Soon afterwards, they had a small fire going and they were eating a small dinner before the comforting light. The trees surrounding them had not like the fire, and seem to shrink away from the flickering flames. They took no notice of this and ate their meal hungrily.

Raine's eyelids were beginning to feel heavier as she struggled to stay awake. She refused to fall asleep. Taja wasn't afraid of being attacked because they were still considered near Crescent Realm. But Raine, being the pessimistic sister, wasn't taking any chances. She almost nodded off, but sat up straight, blinking rapidly. A chuckle came from next to her and she looked up to see Aries looking down at her.

"I'll take over," he said. His face was partially cast in shadow, but she can still see his usual smile. She shook her head.

"I'm not tired," she said, yawning. He shook his head too.

"No seriously, you go rest. I'm not sleepy at all." Raine stood up reluctantly and winced at the stiffness in her back. She rubbed it, cursing the boulder she had been leaning on. Aries took her space and sat down. Raine looked at him for a few moments before making a make shift bed out of her blankets. The last thing she saw before she dozed off was the flickering flame of the fire.

When they woke up, it was still dark. Taja helped the rest bundle up their belongings and they soon set off. They were pretty quiet for a while, and the only sounds were the hooves of their horses. As the sky began to lighten, Taja thought she saw something ahead of her. She had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining it. "Is that light?" she asked, pointing ahead of her.

Adiean squinted and nodded. "Yes, I think it's a way out." The trees were beginning to be sparse in this area and the air didn't seem to choke them as much. Isabel breathed a sigh of relief and sat back in her saddle. She turned to look at Raine, who was riding beside her.

Raine heard her sister sigh, and she too shared her relief. She loved trees, but the trees here were dark and seem to watch them. She shook her head and made her horse trot faster. It didn't matter, she would soon be out of this forest.

The light at the end of the trail grew bigger, and finally, they found themselves leaving the forest behind them. Raine's eyes were unaccustomed to the light and she shaded her eyes from the bright sunshine. She realized suddenly that she was famished. Had time really flown by that fast?

"We stop here and eat," Aries said, looking up at the sun. "It's nearly noon." Raine blinked again in surprise. Time had really flown. Raine unmounted with the rest of her friends. She tied her horse's reins to a small tree and spoke soothingly to it. She turned to find her companions already settling down on the grassy slope. She sat down a next to Isabel and farther away from the others. She still didn't feel comfortable around other people, even after 4 years had passed. Isabel passed her some lembas and Raine nodded her thanks. Her hands unwrapped the leaf wrappings carefully and she quickly took a bite. They all ate in silence, but they were all thinking of the same thing.

'The amulet" Taja thought as she plucked absent-mindedly at the grass beneath her. She was aware of future dangers, but the gravity of the matter hadn't really sunk into her yet. The matter of destroying the amulet seemed to be years and years away, when the reality was that they would reach the temple in a week, or even less. "How do we know how to get into the temple?" she asked suddenly, voicing a sudden thought. They all looked up at her, shaken out of their own thoughts. "It's underground, isn't it?" she continued, "And isn't it locked with some spell or curse?" Adiean nodded.

"Yes, with an ancient curse. It was said that whoever entered never returned." Raine thought back to their departure. No wonder everyone was so solemn. Their beloved ruler and her three sisters were going on a quest that no one had ever completed.

'They must've been planning funerals for us after we left,' Raine thought grimly. Raine sat back, leaning against the tree. The scratchy bark was rough against her back, but she gave it no notice. She was too immersed in the conversation that was continuing before her.

"But we know how to break this curse?" Isabel questioned, tucking the empty leaf wrappings into her bag. Adiean and Haovign exchanged guilty looks. Raine was immediately attentive.

"You don't know the counter curse," she said in her usual hard voice. They started slightly and turned to look at the middle sister as though they had just realized that she was there.

""My lady," Haovign said. "The truth is, no one knows how to break the curse. We only know where the location of the temple, and even that is vague." Raine shot them a look of disbelief.

"What?" she asked sharply, her eyes flashing. She was sure she had heard incorrectly. They didn't know how to break the curse, _and _where the temple truly lies? "You mean to say that we've left Crescent Realm without truly knowing where we were going?" A hand alighted onto her shoulder. Surprised, she looked at Isabel. Raine realized that she had been raising her voice. She relaxed her back again, the knots in the wood once again digging into her back.

"A thousand pardons," Haovign apologized, his eyes showing remorse. Adiean nodded his sorry too.

"I understand that it was wrong to not inform you before our departure, but time is short and we must make haste. And since you insisted on coming…" He trailed off, realizing how rude he sounded to the Lady. He bowed his head, ashamed.

Isabel cleared her throat, making him look up. "We came of our own free will, it's true," she said to him. "It's not your fault." Isabel smiled to show that she wasn't the least offended. "We were aware of the dangers that had laid before us, and we know that they still loom in our paths. Nevertheless, Raine, Taja, and I had still decided to come." Taja nodded earnestly.

"But if we don't know where it is and how to break the curse, how do you expect us to get to the amulet in time?" Haovign nodded grimly. "That is our current problem."


End file.
